An Ode to the Phoenix Heir
by Fehize
Summary: All hail His Majesty, Fire Lord Zuko, Ruler of the Southern Seas, Conqueror of Ba Sing Se, Only Child of Phoenix King Ozai and Phoenix Queen Ursa, Relative of Azulon the Mighty and Ruko the Traitor; Nephew to General Iroh. This is not the first record, nor shall be the last. It's the record of the boy who became the teen who became the man who came to rule the world... [AU]
1. Chapter 1

_An Ode to the Phoenix Heir_  
_by: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

Blue lips met the anguished eyes of the mother. Her jet black hair was splattered against the sheer white of the pillowcase, creating an inverse halo. Yet, despite this almost divine effect, nothing could change reality. In that mother's arms rested a small picture of an infant.

It was a female, who had the perfect little hands to grasp her parents. It was a little girl, who had the perfect little feet to learn to run with. It was a dead stillborn, whose perfect little lungs would never breath. It was the ghost of a newborn, whose hidden golden eyes would never open.

Tears were just funneling out of the exhausted woman's body, lamenting in her loss. All around her were the movements of the midwives, who were desperate to stop the woman's bleeding. Princess Ursa was always a fragile woman, medically speaking, and this pregnancy had placed too much strain on her. It was a miracle she survived her first birth, only a year ago, but husband and wife wanted a sibling for their little Prince.

And a Princess was delivered.

[*-*-*-*]

Prince Ozai, the second in line to the throne, was not a patient man, by any means. He would spend his time, thinking of ways to make his name last amongst the trows of history. He was determined not to fade away into just a branch attached to the family tree of the Fire Lord. The muscular man spent most of his waking hours planning said expenditures. There would be days when he would fantasize about being the first born son, instead of his brother, Iroh. He would spend other times learning art, politics, warmongering, science; anything to further his and his country's goals.

Yet, even such a man as himself had a weak spot, and that weakness was his darling. She was the calming summer breeze to his scorching sun. She whispered to him sweet nothings as he mentioned to her of his plans for their future. It was her, not him, who wanted a family and children to begin with. He would have been content to continue his existence, scheming his way forwards, and having no reference points to belittle him. Yet, when she turned her face towards him, and subtly hinted she wanted to have a family with him, all those days ago, how could he say no?

A small frown etched on his face. The first attempt had gone... _difficult_, to put nicely. His golden eyes hovered over his son, lying asleep in his ornate crib. It seemed that General Iroh was not the only man whose firstborn was a male. Yet, unlike Lu Ten, who was born with the sun shining in the sky, little Zuko was born on the darkest of nights. The midwife at that time was adamant that the little Prince-ling would die. For it was impossible to stay alive, she had stated. He was too young, too small, too _early_, that naive woman had argued.

Ozai had nearly punched her in anger. How dare that pathetic woman think that his _firstborn_ child would pass away!?

Zuko - his little boy, his little Prince, his child - was stronger than that. Just like Ozai was stronger than his own brother. Just like how Ursa was better than any other female out there.

There was a knock at the door. Small, quiet; hesitant.

"Come in," he ordered quickly, removing himself from his musing as he gently brushed aside the midnight hair of his son one last time. Standing up tall and regal, he turned his head to face the stranger. Could it be news of his next child? The one that not only Ursa wanted, but that _he_ desired as well?

The royal nursery was prepared for the second born. It had a spare crib, spare wet nurses awaiting in the rafters; spare toys. No expense was restrained.

The door opened and a woman walked forwards, clasping her hands together. Her mouth started to move, but-

-but that was not what Ozai noticed. Instead, it was her eyes.

Regret. Sorrow. Anguish. Fear. All jumbled up together in a mesh not suitable to be on anyone's face. She didn't even have to speak a single sentence, anymore. He knew, automatically, dreadfully, what that meant. He has seen the expression before - on Iroh's face when his wife died. On his father's face when Ozai's mother died.

And now, it was reflected on his face.

_Her name would have been Azula_, was his last, pure, recall-able thought of that week.

[*-*-*-*]

"The Princess is incapable of producing any more offspring, Prince Ozai. It would kill her, and the child, just like..." _Just like it almost did last time_, came the unspoken words.

The adult prince had to sigh at that comment. It had been already a few years since the second born, and despite that, the pain was still relatively there. It was upsetting, to be honest, but he couldn't just **blame** Ursa. It wasn't her fault that she was born with less abilities for childbirth. Not every woman had large hips and physic to battle through the effects of giving birth.

In fact, Ursa was better than Iroh's wife in that regard.

She had lived, whereas that other woman had _not_.

Which was well, to be honest. His infallible brother's wife had died giving birth to Iroh's second son, which would have placed Ozai even further and further away from the throne. It was something he would be willing to sacrifice almost **_anything_** for. However, politics and centrifuge was an art he knew he had to be careful with. It wasn't as if he could poison Iroh. No, it would leave too obvious a trace to its originator.

One day, his dearest brother will make a mistake, leaving the throne open. Ozai could wait for a few more years. Or ten. Or even fifteen. He was younger than Iroh by many multitudes, and far, far more cunning. He did, however, lack war tactics and strategy of the field. It was something that was not expected of the younger son, and to merely imply that he wanted to learn the subjects of the heir to the Fire Nation was a point against him.

Ozai detested political machinations, at times. It opened doors, but closed others. Still, it seemed he could play the games well - more-so when Iroh was far away.

His large hands turned the spoon in the tea pot, making sure to get just the _right_ amounts of sugar within it. Ursa had gotten him hooked on this blasted hot leaves and water business, even though it was a trait that his brother was infamous for. He rose his golden eyes to look at his visitor in the face after partly ignoring him for those few moments. However, he made sure to give the man ahead of him full rapport, for it was unwise to split political alliances. "Lt. Colonel Zhao, it's nice to see you here in the Palace again. However, what you allude is correct. I will not be having anymore children."

"Too faithful to your wife. Understandable," the sailor stated.

Zhao was growing in the ranks of the Fire Nation Imperial Navy. He had ambition, ideas, and schemes worthy for the palace royal. However, that man's mindset was just where Ozai groomed that man's to be - by the Prince's side, and no where else. Let the Dragon of the West have his damn Army. The Navy was the future. It was also Ozai's pet project.

Men, like Zhao, would bring him forward. Likewise, he would further the Lt. Colonel's career. It was best to both interests.

The Prince frowned a bit, thinking about those words. Zuko was his sole heir, and Ozai would be cursed if he let his child not shine brighter than Lu Ten. "It's never too young to learn the ways of the sea," he commented. Start the kid young. Don't ignore him like his father, Azulon, had done to Ozai. Groom the little four year old into a Prince _worthy_ of the Fire Nation underneath Iroh's very nose. Give him everything a Prince of Wartime would need. All Ozai asked was devotion: to him, to his family, to his country, and eventually, one day, to the entire world.

A world draped in black, gold, and red.

"You mentioned that children can learn to sail a boat, correct? Well, it would be wise for a Prince to learn these things, no? However, perhaps we can start with swimming."

You couldn't teach a toddler to give proper orders for a sailing vessel.

At least, not yet.

"Yes," Zhao continued, smirking a bit, "but boating and children aside, I've heard rumors of an inventor with flying contraptions in the north..."

Ozai flashed a brilliant, dark smile, "Would be a shame if the Earth Kingdom nabbed him first."

[*-*-*-*]

"Father," came the quiet voice of the small boy. "I'm scared."

"Nonsense. Princes should never be scared." Although, it was understandable. Ozai would have been lying if he had ever mentioned otherwise. It was typhoon season, and while the Caldera generally avoided such bad weather, Ember Island did not.

It wasn't a bad typhoon, but it did catch them by surprise. Ursa had been explicit in her desire to watch the plays on their summer home, and, being such wonderful weather during the start of summer, Ozai couldn't say no. Besides, Iroh was back home from the battles in the Earth Kingdom, and he was insufferable to be around with. On and on Ozai's elder brother would continue. Even more harassing was Lu Ten.

**_Perfect_** little Lu Ten, with his tall stature, charming looks, and a mind filled with promise.

He made a fire bloom at his fingertips, bringing forth light against the howling wind. He nudged his child to do so as well. Zuko was a quiet child, compared towards his cousin, but, in Ozai's mind, he was far, far more _gifted_. Besides, any sort of fire bending would be more than enough to distract him from the storm raging outside. At this rate, however, little Zuko's boat would be destroyed, and Ozai would have to find yet another one for his growing child. For being a fire bender, the child sure did have aptitude for the sea. For a nation based on islands, surrounded by the ocean, it was Agni-sent. Armies were nice, yes, but a standing Army was created for the purpose of conquering nations that had few shore lines. But a strong _navy_ would last throughout the ages. Both, alas, had ultimate orders from the Fire Lord, but that was no problem.

One day, he'll be Fire Lord Ozai.

"You flick your hands and breath just _so_," the adult began, showcasing how to do the procedure right.

His son would be better than Lu Ten.

Out came the childish reply, with small hands making his own little flare, "Like this, Father?"

One day, little Prince Zuko would become the Fire Lord.

"Yes, just like that."

One day, his son would be better than _him_.

[*-*-*-*]

_I've always wondered what would happen if Azula had died at birth. Would Ozai had been a good father without having a little prodigy getting all his attention and be a benchmark against? I mean, good to his family - aka Zuko and Ursa? I want to say yes, only cause I'm a sucker for father-son family love. Of course, this would mean that Zuko would be the focus of attention for not only his mother, but father, too. A father, who as we all know, is evil. Very, very evil._

_What could this create?_

I don't expect the story to be TOO long, but... I dunno, I'm bad at guessing.  


_As always, rate and review. And thank you for reading~_


	2. Chapter 2

_An Ode to the Phoenix Hier_  
_by: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

The smell of salt air, far flung coconuts, and shady palms filled the air. Clouds rolled lazily amongst the azure sky, puffing up happily in their watery existence. Birds cawed as they swept around, eager for food. The lapping lull of the sea hit the iron sides of a personal yacht, slowly steaming towards the docile bay. Specially, it was Prince Ozai's - a relaxing place for his lady love and only child.

The three of them were resting diligently, indeed. The small child was in his mother's lap, who was resting her head on her husband's shoulder, who was using his spare arm reading over a large parchment. Even in times of relaxation, alas, there was always constant stream of news from the front. Fire Lord Azulon had denied Ozai from going to the war - less he take glories from the Crown Prince - but that didn't mean he should be ignorant.

Summers at Ember Island were the equivalent to a monk's nirvana for Prince Ozai. A place where he would [mostly] unwind was Agni-sent. He eyes arched towards the sleeping forms of his small, but important, family. Ursa never seemed to age, but his son was already six. What a dastardly thing, being old, meant.

He mused slightly, rubbing his cheek. Granted, he was only reaching the extreme lower limits of thirty...

At the helm of the ship was Ozai's number one man, Captain Zhao. He was a lonesome man, working so hard for his shining future, that he had no time for family. A very diligent worker. Still, even strong ethics needed time off, and Zhao was eager to serve, even for a menial task such as taking an off-branch of the royal family for a vacation.

Ozai grunted as he continued reading about the slow progress of the Army on the western edges of Ba Sing Se. That accursed city had been retaliating for at least twenty years - even Fire Lord Azulon couldn't take it over. Yet, there went his brother, onwards towards what he assumed was victory. It was just the start of a new offensive against the city, but even General Iroh had to agree that victory could take months. Or years.

The second son of the Fire Lord had better ideas, anyways. Iroh can have his Ba Sing Se, with its land locked away from major access to water. Zhao and Ozai had better plans - for example, the North couldn't be unstoppable forever.

He shuffled through his notes, reading ever so as the sun changed its position in the horizon. This time, it was of more interesting subjects: the Mechanist was more than happy to serve the Fire Nation. After all, with the most powerful country protecting the small once-Air Temple from any more traces of the war, how could he not? Ozai had told his crew stationed there [to maintain order, of course] not to pressure or ask the inventor to create products for the Nation... just yet. Let that man get used to Fire Nation rule.

Eventually, that man and his people would get used and come to _love_ being under the rule of the sun.

Time made people's memories fade away, of course. Just look at the colonies. Such bright, shining examples of how _good_ this war could be. It strengthened his nation, united his people, and brought forth progress to those the Fire Nation wanted. What better was a land under one flag - aside one under HIS?

Still... there were those bothersome _resisters_ throughout the world. If he were Fire Lord, the answer would be simple, however.

Just burn them away. Let a new people - a better group - rise from the ashes, like fresh spring leaves.

[*-*-*-*]

Zuko had two uncles. Uncle Iroh, his real uncle, and Uncle Zhao, a relative in spirit. Zhao, being childless and wifeless, had to agree that sometimes the little brat could be unnerving, troublesome, sneaky, but all in all, a male of similar heart. They both loved the endless call of the sea, the roaring of the waves as it pounded the metal surfaces, and the thrill of being at odds against a sudden ocean storm.

Granted, the little tyke was only six, but he sure was as hell a smart little six.

Zhao, of course, knew the reason why Prince Ozai would place the two people together when he was unavailable. The Captain was adept at reading people, even despite his quick-to-anger temper. Or maybe because of it. The answer was as plain as day to those who knew the heart of the family that was Ozai.

Just like now.

Zhao was standing, in the middle of the garden, resting against one of the large, red marble pillars that supported a tile roof, with his arms folded over his large, strong chest. His sideburns were trimmed and his clothing immaculate. Even despite all of this effort in his appearance, even he had to admit that Lu Ten was a shining example of how males could look. And, why was his subject of talk the young Crown Prince? Well, technically, not so young - he was at least sixteen.

Lu Ten had a nasty habit of hanging around with Zuko. Ozai would have none of that. Zhao had to agree, wholeheartedly. If General Iroh [albeit, he was such a _brilliant_ man] was against Prince Ozai, then Lu Ten should, naturally, be Prince Zuko's antagonist.

But, six year old children were easily amused, even by their competition.

There knelt Lu Ten, getting ready to teach his cousin, about something-or-another that would, no doubt, only enforce the idea that Zuko shouldn't be looking at this man with displeasure. Zhao couldn't tell if it was brilliance on Crown Prince Iroh's part - let his son's potential nemesis and rival befriend and sully a promising youth with 'kindness' - or if Lu Ten was really such a soft hearted, naive person. He was, after all, perfect in his calligraphy, perfect in his geometry, perfect in his patriotism, but not exactly filled with the stuff to be a strong, stern leader.

Lu Ten was... soft. Not a 'soft' that was good for Zhao's nation, but 'soft', as in not wanting to harm the blasted rebels, who would do all they can to hurt even **civilian** Fire Nation people. Lu Ten had 'honor', but not the kind towards the crown at all times. Prince Ozai had mentioned to Zhao that the heir of Iroh had even questioned the war, including the Fire Nation's role in it.

Preposterous.

_"Zuko needs to be groomed to be smart, cunning, and manipulative. A happy face with a core of fire. Flexible and strong. Graceful, but rigid. He needs to be everything Lu Ten is __**not**__."_ Those words of Ozai's filled Zhao's memory. _"Ursa doesn't understand the subtleties of court, but we both know we both do."_

Question was, did Lu Ten know?

The Captain stepped out of the shadows, and into the morning light. He bowed formally towards the Crown Prince [for appearances must always be true], and smiled towards the little tyke, Zuko. "Well, well," he began, making sure to hide his dislike with honeyed words, "I would imagine the Crown Prince be fractionally too busy with his studies to play with such a small child. It must be a wonderful morning." _Yes, quiet wonderful_, Zhao mused.

"Uncle Zhao!" cried out Zuko, ecstatic. "Lu Ten was just gonna tell me about how pretty the Earth Kingdom was!"

"In the colors of the Fire Nation, of course," came out a dazzling smile from the Crown Prince, doing such a great act in saving face.

The navy man smiled, "Naturally, Prince Lu Ten. Alas, Prince Zuko and I have an engagement we must attend to. I hope you understand that he must leave your presence. Besides, I would hate for you to get in trouble with your father and the Fire Lord as well, in case they think you are... dallying."

The Crown Prince's eyes darkened a bit, and narrowed slightly. _Ah, so you are not so inept in the ways of politics as you _**want **_us to believe. Still, such a novice. Prince Ozai is far better._ Lu Ten's voice still came out sweet, however. "I am sure Zuko wouldn't mind hanging out with his cousin a bit longer, Captain Zhao. We haven't seen each other in a while, and he's going to be seven, soon. Seven is a very important age."

"Aren't they all?" the Captain smiled.

But, Zhao could play dirty, showcasing who Zuko's favorite clearly was, but not say a single damning word further out of the captain's mouth.

The child squirmed a bit, still a bit too young to learn the rules of the palace. Eventually, he hung his head in defeat a bit, muttered softly in embarrassment, "Sorry, Lu Ten, but Uncle Zhao promised to take me to the sea..."

The Crown Prince gave a farewell hug, of course, looking straight at Zhao in the eyes [knowing he had been defeated] while Zuko was unable to see the both of them. "Well, I would hate to see you delay your _Uncle_. Perhaps, after a _rather important war meeting_, your _Uncle_ wouldn't mind having me on your little boat with my father, _Uncle_ Iroh," Lu Ten mentioned, with light flashing in his eyes.

The Captain bowed in respect. "Perhaps the small dingy can suffice such weight requirements for so many people," he sneaked in before leaving with little Zuko's hand in his.

[*-*-*-*]

When Zuko was born, there was no spark of light in his eyes so common to fire benders. It pains him now to think this, but at the time, the Prince hated his son. His marriage to Ursa was not started in love, at first, but because she had the blood of a powerful bender running through her veins. Should not his firstborn SON be all powerful? With the blood of Sozin and Roku flowing through them!?

When Zuko was two, there was not a whiff of fire from his fingers. Ozai had become antsy in that sudden, horrendous, thought that maybe he son - his successor - would be unable to bend fire. That he would be unable to bring forth the heat and light that royalty was famous for.

When Zuko was three, the Prince was affronted. But, he couldn't take it out on a toddler who only knew how to speak short sentences, nevertheless do a backwards flame kick. Perhaps Ozai should submit to the fact that his son would never bend - a sure win for his blasted brother.

But then Zuko hit the age of four, and nearly set the house on Ember Island ablaze by accident, trying to showcase that he could make fire in the public eyes of his family. Never had Ozai been so _**proud**_.

The Prince in mention flowed gracefully from form to form, making sure to slow down enough for the child to pick things up. Even though Zuko was old enough to bend, he couldn't learn things the first time [much to Ozai's initial hesitation]. Yet, Ursa had begun vehemently. "Zuko," she had pointed out when Ozai had muttered a bit about his child's slow growth, "just needs you to go step by step. He's not like Iroh, who sees it once and is done. He's like a baby hawk out from its nest. Let him flex his wings before he flies."

So, Prince Ozai allowed his son to 'flex'.

And got results.

The small child thrust forth his palm, sending a fireball the color of the burning sun forwards, aimed at a hay puppet in the colors of an Earth Kingdom solider. The hay crackled and bent, bowing forwards, almost like worshiping the little Prince-ling.

Ozai rested his hand on Zuko's head, rustling his hair back in forth in kindness. "Excellent work, my child."

Zuko just smiled, watching the puppet die in his golden eyes.

[*-*-*-*]

It was one thing to see a highly pressurized, mechanical machine tear through and dent metal into pieces.

It was something else to see an _eight_ year old child kick through chains as if they were _butter _with only the soles of his perfect set of palace shoes.

Ursa stood in the background, clapping avidly as Prince Zuko bowed gracefully towards his stunned trainers, Lo and Li. She had seen this before - her darling little boy had the ability to break through metal just as if it was never there. He could cause even more damage with something just as strong in his little hands.

Ozai was beside her, also stunned what his eyes were seeing. The Princess knew how _that_ felt. The shock had hit her when she had discovered for herself of her son's unique talent. Wonders never seemed to cease, it seemed.

She arched her head towards her still silent husband, laughing softly. "Fire bending, archery, swordsmanship, and apparently even immense strength and agility. What else does our little Zuko have in store?" she added, patting Ozai on his arm in jest.

It might sound sad, but it took her two years to love this man ahead of her. She was once in love with someone else from her hometown, who was seemingly more kind and gentle. She had lamented that loss, saddened that Prince Ozai made her live the life of a woman in a almost gilded cage. She had wanted a child to not remember the man she once loved, after all.

_Instead_, Ursa though reminiscently, _I found love anew_. Zuko had brought them together. He was always her little miracle. In turn, she began to see that Ozai as more than just the son of a warmonger. More than just a man who's strong outer appearance prevented people inside. Only very, very few could expose that nutty center.

_"He was lucky to be born," _Ozai had mentioned once,_ "but people don't need luck. Luck only brings complacency. He will be strong enough through determination and innate instincts alone. Just like me, and just like you. A spitting image of the both of us."_

Finally, Ozai managed to sputter out a sentence, before looking at his wife. "And here I was thinking it was to be _I_ who was going to surprise _you_ with our son."

Ursa frowned at that. What did her husband allude to?

Ozai just continued. "I mean," he stated, now chuckling in his dark, deep humor voice, "not only can he physically break metal without bending, but he can simply make it into _liquid_, too. How simply... _wonderful_."

"He can _melt_ iron and steel!?" Now it was Ursa's turn to be surprised, as her golden eyes glanced back toward her son. There was a reason why the machines of war were made of such metals - even Ursa knew that. It was to not catch on fire from the fire benders within, amongst other things.

Ozai now blushed a bit, as down below the twins Lo and Li began to see exactly how thick the metal had to be before Zuko's little legs would tire out. "Well, to be fair, it's not like he can **instantly** melt metal into liquid. It takes a few minutes and it can't be a large piece. " Minutes, when master blacksmiths fire benders took _hours_. "His flame is unnaturally hot... for being golden orange."

Her husband swung his head, his eyes filled with glee. "Little Lu Ten can't even manage **that**."

[*-*-*-*]

Prince Ozai had to hold back a smile as he was watching Zuko's form. It was lithe, and slippery - not at all the solid movements they were supposed to be. Yet, Zuko always went his own way in adapting fire bending to his own, unique style. Normally, such altercations would leave for a lesser flame. But...

Oh, his sweet, little child was such an up and coming powerful weapon of war in his gentle love and care. An oxymoron saying, to be honest, but true all the same.

He thrust-ed forwards, making a large fire ball aim towards Zuko's chest. Yet, the kid was like a zephyr, jumping off the soles of his heels and arching away in a perfect little somersault. His feet landed on the ground, leaving almost no audible trace.

Zuko was as graceful as the wind. As flexible as water. As stubborn as a mountain.

Filled with the potential of the sun. Clearly, the most sublime of elements and a descendant of the previous Avatar.

That was not to say Ozai couldn't crush him into the ground. He WAS a Prince of Azulon. But, for a child, Zuko was better than most benders. No master, of course, but the child was working his way there.

All Ozai had to do was help.

"Haha! You missed me, father!" his son claimed out excitedly as his pure gold eyes scanned the scorched area.

"Oh, I guess I did," he added, cleaning off the sweat from his body via picking up a towel from one of the many soundless servants. He waved them to come closer, now that the training session was over. It was their job to faun over him and his child, but good leaders knew not to treat his people so callously, less they revolt.

And then he would have to kill them.

One of them, better dressed than the others, bowed regally. Not as low as Ozai would have wanted, but that was due to the fact he wasn't one of the Crown Princes. "Your Highness," the messenger began, holding forth a scroll, "you have been summoned to Fire Lord Azulon's chambers to say goodbye to Crown Prince Lu Ten and the Dragon of the West."

Oh, yes. His mandatory 'farewell' appearance. With the Fire Nation Army on the heels of Ba Sing Se once again, it was the start of the so-called final campaign to capture that city. Upon Ba Sing Se's fall, only the Northern Water Tribe would exist as the last major stronghold against the brilliance of the Fire Nation. His elder brother, and his dastardly son, were to head off towards the Wall and begin their assault.

Ozai could remember how Iroh had placed his words of absolute success with his disgusting, smug smile. So much so that he was going to _personally_ take over the city.

Although Lu Ten and Zuko were not as close as they could be, his son was mildly attached to Iroh, much to Ozai's chagrin. Still, it could be useful one day.

Nevertheless, accidents could happen in the fields of war. Terrible, _wondrous_ accidents. The second born Prince could wait. He was not going to mess with fate and dance along the Walls of Ba Sing Se, as Iroh plans to do. Although, the General's plan could work, and make Iroh cemented into the throne.

Or it could fail miserably, and Fire Lord Azulon would loose two Crown Princes.

Never had Ozai wished for an Earth Kingdom victory before.

"Come, Zuko," be began, already thinking of what clothing to wear. One did not reject the summons of his father. "You must look your best. Give your grandfather a good impression." _For if Lu Ten were to die, the Fire Lord should see little Zuko and I are still here. Waiting ever so patiently.  
_

The messenger bowed, relying the reply.

[*-*-*-*]

_I remember from the show that Zuko could do some freakishly amazing things that I couldn't see anyone else do. Like hear extremely well, holding his breath a REALLY long time, break through chains with a swift leg swing, fire bend via swords, sneak into highly protective Fire Nation bases unseen and unheard..._

_Seriously, Ozai was pretty blind not to see such potential, ready to be cultivated. Good thing Iroh wasn't, eh, in the show?_

_Thank you so much for your loving reviews. I, of course, would be happy if it was more, but who wouldn't be? -laughs sheepishly- As you can see, the story is progressing forwards; obviously an AU._

_Nevertheless, I would love it if you would rate and review~!_


	3. Chapter 3

_An Ode to the Phoenix Heir_  
_by: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

Ursa dipped in and out. Her leg gracefully being the center of her rolling pivot. The gold laced, dark red shoes made no sound as she spun in a circle, making sure to have the most exquisite poise and tact and grace. The court of the Fire Lord was a dangerous place, to be sure. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, she mused, in between bowing to her next dance partner and saying good bye to her previous one. It could be far worse. After all, Ozai was not the first born; ergo, he didn't have to worry too much about usurping younger relatives.

Left and right, then a twirl, followed by a bow. Lift you head up, just so, as if you are fully listening to the same comments of, "You are very beautiful, Princess Ursa," "May Agni shine fortune to you, Princess Ursa," "My, what a handsome little boy you have, Princess Ursa," and then some. It was the same pattern for all formal balls; a necessary bothersome. Although she loved such remarks from her husband, hearing such dead words from courtiers were... well, rather exhausting.

Times like this, she thought she was a fire flower, wilting without water.

Still, protocol dictated as such, and she knew, as the wife of Prince Ozai, she had to do this oh-so visibly. For, you see, it was the anniversary of the Fire Nation being united under one man - the Fire Lord. The meaning might have lost much over the eons, and the history books might have been a bit smudged, but the tradition was still there. Let the Fire Lord shower the public and nobles with the wonderful sights and sounds of the Royal Palace. It was to connect that, although the Fire Lord was 'God Amongst the Lands', he was just as caring to his people as a sweet summer gust.

"Oh, pardon me," she simply stated, bringing up her hand to block the sarcastic smile that was beginning to grace her features. "I am afraid all this spinning from so many dances has left me quite perplexed." That wasn't the truth at all. But, since the court was already filled with the idea that she was a weak woman, let them think that was her excuse to leave the dance floor so early.

Her golden eyes glanced over towards the different peoples inside. Nobility tended to stick together, and as such, she was never too far away from Ozai, Zuko, or Azulon.

She mentally frowned, making sure to place a mask of serenity, walking slowly towards her husband, who was sitting next to his father. She could be every bit as refined as a Fire Lady, and she would have to show it first to Azulon before taking her spot next to her husband.

She knelt forward, muttering softly, "For another glorious year of your reign, Fire Lord Azulon."

He arched his eyes, not being as well as her in hiding his discontent and sneering disposition. "Oh, yes," he began in his deep voice, "another glorious year. Did you know that my Dragon of the West is already beginning to tear down the walls, as we speak?"

The refined woman only wished that all could go well, thinking of something else already...

Fire Lady Ursa. She would be lying if she didn't like the way that would sound and what it would entail, if only it was true. _Oh, my,_ the black haired woman thought, as she regally bowed towards Fire Lord Azulon in the deepest of respect, _I do believe Ozai is rubbing off on me full heartedly_...

Although her love for Ozai grew over the years, her divestment to his father was like a fire under the ground. Existing, but smouldering. Incredibly hot, but hidden underneath your very feet. Like an asp coiled under a summer stone, ready to strike at the slightest aggregation. That man was cruel and sadistic in the ugliest of ways. Did he yell or scream or try to belittle those around him with anger?

No, Fire Lord Azulon ignored people he tended to dislike or thought not worthy of his attention. The only reason why she had to sit so close to him was because she was married to Ozai, and Ozai was royal by blood. Yet, as she stood back up and waltzed to her seat next to her said husband, she couldn't help but look over towards the empty two chairs that resided to both the left and right of the Fire Lord.

The meaning was significant. Ozai, the Prince who was actually here, _in_ the Palace walls, was not worthy of sitting in the spots meant for Crown Prince Iroh and Lu Ten. Even **_though_** the General was sitting away at the Walls of Ba Sing Se, already a whole eighteen months - about five hundred and thirty days! - into his conquest.

_"More than a year of men and women dying. A year and a QUARTER of OUR nation's people, mother! You taught me all was precious under our flag, yes, but to sacrifice such good soldiers!? What of their husbands and wives? If the Walls are so famous for being unbreakable, why must Uncle Iroh throw such good men at it?"_

_ She placed her hand on her child's shoulder, trying to settle him down. It was such a pretty day, too, with the sun and clouds reflecting off of the turtle-duck pond. She sighed, as if trying to explain that when you play with war, men sometimes became numbers to further their goal. Eventually, you become detached. Like seeing a house burn in the distance and know someone in there could be dying, but turning your head away to make dinner. "You cannot win against the city any other way, darling Zuko. It's so big it has a river inside it for water. So large that they have enough fields to feed its citizen. So vast that one can only chip away the edges."_

_ Zuko sat still for a moment, just seeing the cute little water animals play. "It's not right. I bet you that Uncle Iroh doesn't even write letters of condolences to those who have fallen. There has to be another way. Somehow," he grumbled off._

Ursa agreed with Ozai. Zuko was growing up to every inch a Prince that the others that had come before were not. He was mindful for not only the common folk - Ursa, teaching her son such virtues, for even she was not of the noblest of stock - but careful about nobility - a lesson etched in by his father and 'Uncle' Zhao. He also wasn't a mindless slaughter of his own people, which would fetch good will from others over time. He, too, had perfected his calligraphy, learned his geometry, and even mastered studying the stars for navigation. He knew court etiquette, could recite heralds of history, and was learning to be masterful at getting his ways without you knowing.

Granted, if little Zuko could ever get a chance at being in a position to acclaim such power in the first place, he would be the Perfect Crown Prince.

She glanced back to Ozai, who was holding onto the armrests of the less-gilded chair rather tightly as he, too, noticed the significance of such empty chairs between the Fire Lord and him. His face was calm, outwardly, though, but Ursa could always see the signs of her husband's anger.

Fire Lord Azulon didn't even come to celebrate his grandson's birthday. Didn't bother to visit or get to know the child. The only time Zuko, Ozai, and Ursa were allowed in his _'divine'_ presence was when something dealt with the Dragon of the West and his son. The only time they were shown in court together was when Azulon could reinforce the idea to the nobility that Ozai was to never become close to the throne.

As she kept looking at the ball that was going on in front of her, she could but help fantasize it was for a different reason; for a different setting. Ursa's eyes glazed over - politely, of course, as if she was ill from spinning so much in dance - as she imagined wearing the flame crown of the Fire Lady, sitting in an ornate throne next to her husband, with people from all four nations bowing before her child and her husband and herself. They would shower her family with gifts and affection - for her husband would end the war in one nation's unity, as he promised to her almost every day - and applaud.

Most importantly, her little fantasy world's vision of her future people were not little Azulons, waiting in the shadows of his flames, eager to toss his second born son's relatives into a vat of emptiness.

"My dear," she began, whispering towards Ozai as the crowd dance and the music played, leaving her motion to look more like one of sweet nothing romance, "you are right. Things can't stay this way."

Ozai took a turn to see her wonderful son, who was also sitting next to his father in proper poise and grace. You could tell the ten and a half year old was bored, eager to do anything else [such as training, or reading, or sailing]. He was dressed in regalia that was not to outdo his father or grandfather, but one couldn't hide the fact he was far, far younger than Fire Lord Azulon. Ursa had chosen the clothing for her family herself - let the people see the perfection that was the 'branch off Azulon', the Ozai Family Tree.

He brought his head back to her, whispering softly in her ears with a voice filled with anticipation and partly lined with fear. It was dangerous waters, to be sure, but Ursa couldn't live like this anymore. She couldn't live seeing her husband pine away for a position that General Iroh didn't deserve. She couldn't live knowing that her son _should_ be the one to sit on the Dragon Throne, but was unable to. "Then you agree to my plan?" he asked, squeezing her hand as a sign of support. He was kind enough to not force a yes out of her, but that want and desire for her acceptance reflected off her eyes.

She graced her head, ever so dignified, as she took one last look at her son, "_**Yes**_. Yes I do, oh, my sweet husband."

General Iroh could afford to loose Lu Ten, but Ursa had no ill will to the Dragon of the West, personally. Let Zuko, her little bright candle light, fill up Iroh as well, in the end. She was sure that her son's innocent looking smile and view of the world would reign in a grieving father's affection and devotion to her perfect son, making such a potential threat dissipate like fog in the afternoon sun. She had already set the seeds - telling Zuko that his Uncle was such a good, if funny, man, and that he always was a relative to hang out if Uncle Zhao, Ozai, or Ursa were unavailable. Ozai had detested the initial action, at least, until his wife told him of the multiple doors it could open.

"_Better than Lu Ten in every way imaginable, even to his own father_," so stated her adoring husband as they laughed to one another.

Ursa could drink those words like sweet, honeyed milk and nectar.

[*-*-*-*]

It was late at night. Husband and wife had left the ball early due to saying that Zuko was young and needed his rest for tomorrow.

The moon shone through the shuttered windows, as even the lights in the room were snuffed out. Elegant silks rested all around the two figures, lying down next to each other, as if they were ready for bed. Certainly, if there was to be any onlookers gazing in, their posture would just hint of a married couple getting ready on their nightly rituals.

One would have to stand over them, directly, in order to see the damning piece of parchment between the both of them.

Both of their eyes glinted in nervousness. Of course, Ozai had once said those prophetic words - that he wanted the Earth Kingdom to win this fight. But to do something like this!?

The black, freshly inked words reflected the moonlight:

_To which Earth Kingdom General this may concern;_

_ You do not know my name, nor do I know yours. It is better this way, for all parties involved. I know how you want to win your battle, and push away the Fire Nation from the Walls of your city, Ba Sing Se. I know how you want your people to have hope. I know how you would do almost everything._

_ So do I. And here is what I am willing to give up._

He felt his wife inhale deeply, as if cementing the idea that the plot was real, and that they were both going ahead with a plan that was a year in the making. A plan that could have them all executed if found out. Ozai had spent his time, carefully, diligently, in the war councils, since General Iroh was gone - his poor, foolish brother. He had spent the time, gathering intelligence over his brother's actions and the location of the camps in the name of furthering the war effort.

Of where the Army got their food, their water, and their routes of supplies.

Of where tiny, weak, soft, _exposed _Lu Ten was leading his own little regiment of little toy soldiers, lined up in a row.

_I can, with most certainty, promise that if you kill Crown Prince Lu Ten, the General of the Fire Nation would fall back posthaste. Such is the secret to win safety to your city.  
_

_ Signed,_

_ A Phoenix Amongst the Water_

"Family can leave you so _**weak**_," Ozai muttered in the darkness, as the celestial body in the sky shone off his very eyes, bleaching them white for a few moments. The Princess besides him held onto his hand, dearly; she, too, having the same eye effect until the moon hid behind the clouds.

"We'll never let Zuko join the Army," whispered Ursa as she forged a seal from the North Water Tribe upon the letter.

"Never," her husband replied. He lifted the letter, as if trying to cast away any lingering doubts. It was, after all, a relative he plotted to become deceased.

Ursa's voice went down a few tones, before rolling up to her husband's chest, snuggling close to him in a manner to make herself comfortable. "We should never tell our son of what we did for both you and him. He would be devastated to know that his people died to place him and you on the throne."

"Sometimes," Ozai agreed, hiding the letter in his shirt, where it would stay until he could deliver it to Captain Zhao, who would, in turn, smuggle it towards the Earth Kingdom as a Water Peasant, "it's better to leave children as children."

Both of them soon fell asleep, holding hands, smiling as the moon began to set; both awaiting and dreaming of the day when a golden crown of flames would anoint their blessed heads.

[*-*-*-*]

A swift kick. A lackluster punch for falsehood, before jumping into the shadows and reappearing in the bushes. The no longer so little child bid his time, eager to show his trainers that he, too, could be as sneaky as a spirit. His fingers itched to snap and bring forth the fire that lived in his very veins; itched to summon it forth and annihilate his target.

Granted, it wasn't Lo and Li. Agni, no! They were his stern, but cool, evil set of evil twins from training evil-dom.

And that was alright with Zuko.

Perfection, poise, and quick movement. A left step and then a right step, like his mother had mentioned. Fighting was a dance, and his enemies were imperfections to the world that should be graced with fire. A simple balance between two thoughts. The Ying and the Yang. The cause and effect.

_Focus_, the child though blankly, trying to achieve a sense of inner balance. His small hands began a gentle rotation, with two fingers pointing out. In one, his emotions, in another, his logic.

Two halves of a whole.

There was a crackle in the air, as his trainers finally began to realize where their little prince was hiding. But it was too late. He was aiming his fingers towards the Earth Kingdom clad target...!

An explosion caused Zuko to fly backwards, hitting a tree in the face, having a cascade of leaves fill his hair as his body quivered with the slight traces of static electricity. _Owwwww..._ he thought, rubbing his head in agony.

There went Lightning Attempt #36.

Perhaps he should try to get the ability to bend lightning on the 100th attempt? After all, even his father had laughed when Zuko had complained that he was _**still**_ setting his hair against gravity on Try #29.

"Prince Zuko, how many times must we tell you: NEVER let an opening of the enemy go!" argued Lo.

"Well, it would have worked," the boy begun, picking himself up from the floor and dusting himself off, "if only the damn lighting would have gone off."

Li was only happy to continue. "That was the POINT of this exercise, little Prince. In the real world, you would have had your precious little head chopped off while trying to regain your senses from the tree. Earth Kingdom Armies are filled with undignified-"

"-callous-" chirped in the twin, doing that freaky relative thing.

"-and honorableness brutes, who would be more than happy than kill the only child of Prince Ozai!"

Zuko felt like huffing his hair out of the way, glaring angrily at the hay 'solider' that was mocking him. How dare that little cache of flammable vegetation not get struck by lightning! "Why couldn't he be a Fire Nation solider, already? Earth Kingdom people need to realize that fighting against us is trite, and that they would be better off under our banners?"

"Because some people are ignorant, your Highness," they continued, urging him to regain his stance and try yet again.

He jumped back up, making sure that his feet were firmly on the ground. In fact, he was certain he would blow himself up again before there was the sound of crashing leaves and falling books. He turned his head slightly, noticing off the corner of his eyes that a man dressed in full blown Fire Nation Army armor had just busted into the quiet, secluded training area like a komodo-rhino.

He threw himself on the ground, prostrating himself in fear. "Your Majesty, Prince Zuko. I bring forth terrible, terrible news!"

The Prince waved his hand, helping the solider up towards his feet. It irked him deeply to have someone of his own nation bow in such reverence to him. They were of the same people, why should the common man avert their gazes? Zuko wasn't a sadist, like his grandfather, who enjoyed playing with people's minds. "Up on your feet, solider. You spent your time in the front, and you deserve honor as well. Now," Zuko continued, trying his best to sound formal and slightly detached, just as his mother showed him how to do when bad news was coming, "what tales do you bring?" He tried his hardest to sound far older than the eleven years he was.

Far older than eleven.

"No tales at all, y-your Highness," the man begun, with his eyes already trimmed with tears. "News from the front. My fellow in arms have already rushed towards Prince Ozai as Captain Zhao requested." There was no hesitation, but there was a shake to his voice. "Your c-cousin, Crown Prince Lu Ten, is **_dead_**. General Iroh is heir less, devastated, and had p-pulled away from Ba Sing Se in utter d-defeat."

Zuko stood there, stunned into silence as his knees began to lock. His own cousin... _Uncle-!_ he thought in horror. How could this be!? His Uncle Iroh _never_ lost a campaign!

Lo and Li, however, had a different mind set. A more _joyous _one. They were of Ozai's camp, after all, and knew what this entailed. Just like how Zhao was, and the majority of the court. Slowly, Zuko's father's snare been strung, now slowly choking the life out from Iroh's favor. They both bowed a little lower towards the Prince-ling, not sure if Zuko recognized the motion, but not caring either way.

Ozai had just jumped up a notch for the throne. And Iroh... well, he was so _old_.

"Too old for children," Lo began, searching for her white mourning dress. Li could only agree, adding, "Too old for the throne."

In another room in another section of the palace, two royal figures were also arming themselves in white regalia. In each of their hands were each other, however, as they spun around and around, smiling and calling out thanks to Agni. No more shall their precious little prince be compared to his flawed cousin. No more shall strong Ozai be compared to his broken brother.

They were so close to victory, they could _see_ it.

[*-*-*-*]

_Ozai and Ursa are such a perfect family when they are in love. In sickness and in health, and in thick and thin... Poor Lu Ten. I am so sorry. ;-;_

_I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise, but this story is a bit dark. Some of this stuff might be predictable, at first, but I don't intend on it staying so._

_AUs are so much fun! MUWHAHAHAHA!_

_Thank you for your kind words and reviews! -smiles and nods-_


	4. Chapter 4

_An Ode to the Phoenix Heir_  
_by: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

White silks and satins flowed as footsteps echoed across the emptying hallways. The red clad servants - usually seen meandering between the pillars and candlesticks - were slowly hiding behind tall curtains, ensuring not to be heard. Although it was relatively known that the relationship between the royal families were terse at best, even they knew not how the Ozai tree would react to the news of the death of such a Crown Prince.

For it meant far more than just the death of one young adult.

Still, one couldn't stop the very air from moving through the dimly lit hallways. It streamed through the wisps of smoke that trailed lazily over the candle fires, mixing the smell of incense in the air. One couldn't stop the ground from moving, deep underneath everyone's very feet, as if it was, too, eager to await the next passage of time. One could not stop the very water in the standing goblets, staying tranquil only in appearance.

Alas, little Prince Zuko was not thinking of such things. Neither was his mother nor father. All three had varying differences on their opinion of such a meeting with the Fire Lord would entail. Prince Ozai, the tall, powerful man, was only filled with assurance. His wife, Princess Ursa, was also filled with elation, albeit slightly more cautious over the circumstances, being as there was still Crown Prince Iroh to attend with. Lastly, there was little Prince Zuko, who was still in sad anguish that his favorite - and only - cousin had perished on some bloody stained hill in the middle of a battlefield.

The walls of Ba Sing Se were a cruel mistress.

The guards noticed the family's arrival, and bowed regally. They, too, were curious - for who WOULDN'T be? - but they had a most precious mission. Although, yes, the Fire Lord could take care of himself, it was still a common tradition to stay and be the first line of defense.

Be that against an assassin or one's own family tree.

"His Majesty, Prince Ozai, Princess Ursa, and Prince Zuko of the Second Line," came the announcer, before bowing out, showcasing a touch of flourish in the shutting of the doors. So soft that one couldn't hear them shut; so loud that no one else was inside.

The Ozai family was alone with that man's father.

It was not often they were in the presence of the man who ruled the Fire Nation, with just himself and no entourage. It was to be a folly. Nevertheless, the large, roaring red flames licked the red granite ceilings, showing harsh shadows on the small frame of his child, making little Zuko look more like a broken china doll. Not exactly the show of force Ozai wanted reflected out, but, as long as Ozai looked well enough to carry forth his statement... perhaps it mattered not what sort of dubious illusion his dearest father could create.

He would not be silent no longer.

The greetings were not even traditional. Ozai and Ursa had agreed to speak ahead their minds, for, it was now or never. Their plot had been set, and the pieces had to be collected and amassed and set in motion before his saddened, damned brother could return and contest the throne that was rightfully to-be HIS. "Fire Lord Azulon," he began, keeping his voice stern, yet toneless.

Let his father try to guess what he was going for.

"-what terrible news for the Fire Nation nobility to hear about the passing of such a young Crown Prince." It was true. Many a nobles were now scrambling, lost without Prince Lu Ten or Prince Iroh to rally around. With Ozai's brother now pulling back in a _loosing_ retreat and that man's son deceased, who else was next on the throne? Why, the ones who know about Ozai's rise to power in the first place.

Ozai made sure to keep his smile on the inside. But only barely just.

"What do you want?" came the terse reply. Wither or not the Fire Lord saw this coming was up in the air. Ozai had never asked, for you see.

"I am just here to state the obvious, my Lord. However, I would like you to see something first." With that, he flicked his hands slightly, mentioning his son to come forward. And forward did little Zuko come, obeying his father although he was shivering in a room that was far too cold for being filled with the light of flame itself.

Ozai and Ursa had originally debated on showcasing that the Ozai line was strong - far better and superior to Iroh's laxity way that ended up in turmoil. Should it be a tour dé force, making Zuko put on a display of fire bending forms and katas? To showcase his ability to melt iron and break through steel? To sneak into the shadows and vanish like a summer shower? No, Ursa had countered at the last second, bringing up the fact that their son was taking the loss of his cousin rather hard, and perhaps was not physically up to the challenge. Besides, it was not as if his father would truly look nor care. He would see it as an act of aggression.

Instead, they both agreed to the flat, in your face, we claim victory, route.

A bit treasonous to Iroh and the memory of Lu Ten, but those two deserved it.

His darling son - executing a _perfect_ ceremonial bow of respect towards the Fire Lord - had not a hair in the wrong spot, nor a single fiber of his immaculate white outfit out of place. He was a showcase pinnacle of perfection, no longer looking like a shivering tree in a harsh winter's storm. He was not proud looking - in fact, one could argue there wasn't even an expression of any sort on his child's face. Clearly, Ursa, Lo, and Li had trained the child well.

Ozai stood up immediately as well, no longer in a bowing position towards his father. Granted, since Azulon was upon a throne, on top of a set of stairs, his head was still lower. Agni forbid that anyone's head be above the Fire Lord's. He showed his arms aside, making sure to keep the glint of victory only in his eyes. "Do you recognize your grandchild? Perhaps you do, by necessity, but I have seen him for all of his life. Notice something about Prince Zuko here? He is breathing, whereas unfortunate Prince Lu Ten is... _not_."

Zuko didn't need to actually do or say anything. Merely being a statue was more than adequate. It showed discipline, for one, something that Lu Ten always lacked [and could never, ever fix with the passage of years now].

Of course, naturally, that angered Azulon, and he soon stood up, actually moving from his seating position, brandishing his head in arrant. "How DARE you indicate such words! News of your nephew's death has come not only four hours ago!"

Ozai countered that. "Prince Iroh will never have children again. I have one very healthy and so much so ALIVE."

"_**CROWN**_ Prince Iroh still has many a-"

Ursa smiled while in her bowing position. Ozai and her knew where this was going off to. Of _course_ his stupid father would say such pathetic things such as Iroh having the chance of still having offspring. What even Fire Lord Azulon failed to grasp was that Iroh never wanted to fall in love with another woman with the death of his old wife.

What a pity for Iroh, no? That love makes someone weak.

Oh, what a _terrible, __**terrible**_ travesty.

"Would he really, father? How long has it been since Prince Iroh's wife died? Ten? Thirteen? Possibly more? And how many other women has my dear brother seen since then? One? Even that could only be placed through a stretch of the truth. Face it, Fire Lord Azulon, Prince Iroh might as well be called infertile."

Infertility was a terrible charge of mouth against someone - especially of royal blood. It meant the complete dying out of the branch. It meant that they would be shoved into the ends of the history books. It meant not having any more children to continue your name and glorify the future. It meant being The End.

Out of the way for bigger and better things, in Ozai's mind.

The fires roared, trying to reach out and grab the very stars in the sky. "You DARE believe YOU deserve the THRONE!?"

The second born son of Azulon didn't just nod his hid meekly. Oh, no. He turned those words around. "No, father. I don't _deserve_ the throne. It _rightfully_ belongs to ME!"

Ursa quivered slightly in her still-bowing position, but if it was fear or anger or anticipation of the future, Ozai never knew. Whatever the case, whatever the emotions, quickly changed once the fire darkened out and Fire Lord Azulon began to laugh.

And _laugh_.

And _laugh_.

The sinister sound filled the halls, and with a flick of his wrist, the Fire Lord placed his hand on his head, and crackled some more. "'Rightfully'?" he added with a voice laced with venom. "Well, I certainly can't argue with your... LOGIC. Yes, I am well, _well_ aware of how 'pure' Iroh is. And with Lu Ten dead, that means that only..."

Fire Lord Azulon trailed off, before his face etched in one of the most grotesque expressions of sheer _hatred_ Ozai had ever seen. It reminded of him when his father would always tell him, in the darkness, that he was to never be as good as his older brother. "WHY! That must only mean that little Zuko must die!"

Ozai was stunned, as was Ursa. It was not out of the question to think that his plan was becoming to unravel in a way neither saw coming. Anger from Azulon, they expected. But they also expected him to see his way, for it was only RATIONAL. One did not leave the throne to a man who couldn't produce another heir ever again! It went against the foundation of noble stability! One also didn't order to eradicate the REST of the line!

Yet, his father continued, soon rising the flames in the background to cast a now white-hot glow, bringing the very heat upon the three forms on the floor. "You, TOO, must feel the pain of loosing your first born SON for the THRONE. FOR, can't you _SEE_!? Iroh may no longer have the capability to have kids, but your pathetic, _commoner_ wife certainly still has a working factory, unless she fails COMPLETELY utterly at that as WELL, _**AGAIN**_!

"And if she were to die, WELL, MY SECOND BORN CHILD, is there not some HARLOT you can ravage!? _**JUST AS I DID FOR YOU!?**_"

Sheer gauntness was the closest word that Ozai could think of to explain his current emotions. He... he was the son of some mere _consort_ and the Fire Lord? He was not of pure noble blood!?

It explained why he was to never be considered better than Iroh.

Explained why his father never saw him in a positive light.

Explained why he would have to do something grievous to claim the throne.

"What are you waiting for!? Why haven't you already killed the boy!?" Azulon miffed, happy that he had out maneuvered a man who had _thought_ he was on top of the plot. "Oh, little, little Ozai. You must be perversely naive to believe that I didn't see the way you had replaced Iroh's supporters for your own. I have been watching you trying to claim the throne from my first born son since you were a young teen! You CANNOT fool your own FLESH AND BLOOD!"

The Fire Lord smiled even harsher as young Prince Zuko lost his bearing and rushed into his father's arms, terrified. In any other case, Ozai would have chastened the child. You never show fear! You never show your back! You stand strong and fight back, till the bitter, cold end. However, this was not a normal case. But it showed just how trusting his son was.

His son betted that his father wouldn't kill him for the throne.

"Did you know? I killed my own family to get the Fire Nation all to myself. So, why haven't you done it yet!? Time's a wasting and I could just give the throne back to Iroh and force him to have a child with some bigoted woman. Or I could just gift him yours. Yes, I can see it now. But, you wouldn't let it get that far, of course. Your wife or your son? Your place next in line for the throne, or something as pathetic as the emotion of _love_!?"

It was sick, seeing this man parade around, like a proud turkey. The Fire Lord was a bastard. He brought forth his family into a chain of manipulation and deceit, a cycle that he apparently was a part of and wanted to spread like a virus amongst a population. Azulon wanted his disease of hatred to seep into the very veins of every single nobility around him. Ozai's father wanted his own son to follow in his charade of insanity.

It was the game of politics.

The wonder of the Fire Nation court.

Azulon was ready for the killing blow; looking forward to it, even - so sure he was of where his son's ambition lied. Ozai's wife, who was now beginning to get out of her state of shock, was beginning to understand that if they wanted the throne, Zuko would have to die - she knew what that would entail. She tried to rush forwards towards Ozai's body, but only tripped over the pristine white hem of her gown and toppled forwards.

Zuko was still embedded into the chest of his father. Yet, he was unaware of the motions that Ozai was undergoing.

Such a trusting, foolish child.

For, you see, the second born Prince was splitting apart the Ying and the Yang. The balance of the two chis. The emotion and the logic. His arms were spiraling slowly, making sure to be at complete detachment about what he was about to do.

What a _terrible_ thing he was to do.

**Monstrous**, even.

Ursa saw those motions. She knew what they accomplished in the end. She knew of the pure heat and light that was to come out. Her fingernails broke against the floor, forcing herself to get up, as she tried to rush towards her husband. "Ozai! Noo! He's our SON!" Her frail body was too slow, though. Too slow and not fast enough.

In one finger was all of his shock, anger, hatred, and utter ambition.

In the other, the knowledge of what he must do to gain the throne.

However, it was Ozai's eyes that saw his true target. His golden hues looked down for just that brief moment, staring down to the small form of his Zuko...

... just taking in his child's body as Ozai's fingers rushed forth, forcing the split energy to create an arc that burst into a string of light and pure energy that simply _**incinerated**_ the man upon the golden throne.

There used to be a Fire Lord Azulon.

But Ozai killed him.

Anyone against his son and wife _deserved_ to be _annhiliated_. Burned into the ashes and set ablaze. Set into the fires of the very Sun and be refused a honorable funeral. To be spat upon until their ancestors writhed in pain.

"That, my son," Ozai began, as he rubbed his child's hair in playfulness as a grin spread from ear to ear in utter victory. It may not have been as flawless as he planned, and it may not end up pretty. But, oh, was killing that man **worth **it. "_That_ is how you create lightning."

[*-*-*-*]

The climb to become a Fire Lord was not easy. It was, after all, close to impossible to hide the fact that Prince Ozai had murdered his own father and unsurped the throne. But, you know what...? No one minded in the end.

Not after three hard years.

Three years of removing the once powerful families stilled aloofly tied to Azulon. Three years of seeing General Iroh wander the capital city of Caldera like a lonesome little ghost, tethering to the reflection of Ozai's child [where Ursa had craftily slid him to]. Three years of change and upheaval and the formation of Ozai's place.

The court moved as it always did, claiming new allegiances to an obviously more finessed leader, and the normal people just shrugged and moved on. Fire Lord Azulon was not often in their minds - the war was. And Azulon did so little...

But Ozai... Fire Lord Ozai was _charasmatic_. He cared for his nation, or so the talk stated. He cared about bringing forth the entire world under the united banner of the black flame. An actual **goal** for an end to the fighting. Of course, there was also more. There were the whispers of his kind and gentle Fire Lady, who could grace the very land with her presnce, and how her beauty was that of the dawn. There were the soft, sad tales of the once glorious Prince Iroh and his broken heart, being slowly mended.

There were the rumbles of an Admiral Zhao, a man who had climbed through the ranks of the Glorious Fire Nation Navy, who was to begin a front against the north water nation savages.

There were also the statements of a young, prodigious, and beloved Crown Prince as a key component to conquering the South.

But, they were only rumors.

Or so they say.

[*-*-*-*]

_If I fooled any of you about Ozai will shoot and kill Zuko, shame on you! -jokes- Although, I did try to make it sound like so. -laughs- A rather dark chapter, as I fully believed that even in the cannon universe was Azulon a crazy psychopath [seriously, kill your grandson!?], but is that the beginning of the start of the __**Avatar timeline **__at the end of it? Could that possibly be mentions of a potential movement to the Southern Water Tribe!?  
_

_Oh, my! I wonder what that means!  
_

_For those who wondered/asked me, Zhao and Zuko are like Uncle and Nephew for a good AU reason. HUEHUEHUE. But what it is for you may or may not guess! UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE! Dundundun~  
_

_As for the delay between Chapter 3 to 4... I am also working on original content for my own personal reading pleasure. So I am still writing, but they are my own original characters and storyline, ergo, you don't actually see anything. Sorry. -sad face- I switch back and forth between them both quite often. Jaja!  
_

_ANYWAYS, please rate and review! A happy review makes a happy Fehize, which in turn make a sequence of events that I had written down that sounded really freaking witty until I read it the second time..._


	5. Chapter 5

_An Ode to the Phoenix Heir_  
_By: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

The smell of the ocean could obliterate one's very senses to the core. It was easy to forget that there was a entity called 'land' over the distant horizon when such an event happened. Gone was the simple method of seeing landmarks and making note of your position on a map for guidance. No, over the perils of the ocean, one had to align themselves with the very stars to even hope of going anywhere safely.

It was a task that Crown Prince Zuko was rather esteemed with.

There were no sails on his ship. Rather, it was a small fleet of four 'sail-less' crafts. It was a method of transportation solely relying on the genius minds of the Fire Nation engineers. The Water Nation had sails made of burlap and hides, made from either hunting or trade. As such, their vessels, while small and nimble, lacked the ability to sustain consistency without the wind or the occasional rare Water Bender. The Earth Kingdom also had ships with sails, although they were larger than their watery neighbors. As such, they were capable of moving mass amounts of cargo and troops, but were sitting ducks to any enemy they would encounter. It was said that the Air Nomads lacked any forms of being on the water, considering that those lofty monks had used sky bison as their method of travel, not wanting to fully partake in the trading of goods they claimed was 'for the whole world to share with no monetary value'.

With all those choices, and with all those different points of view over how the ocean could be conquered or traversed, Zuko could claim he was severely biased.

For, the Fire Nation had large, slow moving cargo ships. They also had small, versatile, and fast moving yachts. They _even_ had the services of a few... brigadiers, who were notorious at being able to read the subtleties of the ocean in any weather. Then there were the private vessels - the ships made only to vacation on the shores - and war ones - who were opposite with private ones in all but size.

Last, but not least, there was his own ship, a mix of both luxury for a Crown Prince, and war time efficiency for a Navy.

The biggest, and most crucial, difference of Fire Nation ships that made them superior to every other nation's? They ran not solely on the beauty of the wind, nor the flow of the currents. They explored not the whims of where the streams of the great ocean would take one, but rather, a mix of all four elements.

Water for the boilers. Wind to move the steam to the turbines. Earth for the coal that powers the fire in the flame. The same fire that smelted the earth for steal. The same fire that melted earth for glass. The same fire that could disinfect water for food and drink.

_Fire_, Zuko mused, overlooking the towering glaciers that were scattered all around him as his little fleet of ships moved closer and closer towards the far south, _is not as destructive as other people would like to think._

[*-*-*-*]

_Fire is the most evil and most cruel element of them all. No wonder every single damn Fire Nation citizen is a monster!_ internally growled a teenaged girl with dark brown hair and skin.

_But at least fire makes water hot enough for Sokka's stinky socks!_

Life certainly wasn't currently fair for this teen. Whereas her wonderful, if meandering, brother was currently bringing up the village's 'defenses' with a pitiful snow tower, SHE was busy scrubbing away days of sweat from a pair of linens. There would be, of course, moments when she wondered why couldn't Sokka do his **own** socks, but then he would probably never do them, in the first place.

The next time she would see his socks, they probably would have mold growing on them. Or worse... have some other forms of life. Like aliens.

_Boys!_ the female grumbled again, only with more force in her mental mind. To be fair, Sokka was trying his hardest on preparing the village for potential conflict. He had... enthusiastic ideas, to be fair, but she was certain they could never be practicable.

"Really, Sokka," she actually stated out loud, to no one in particular, "I highly doubt a leaning-" SPLASH, went the socks again into the pit, "SAD looking-" SPLOOSH, there went a little touch of Water Bending for good measure, "watch tower is going to stop a polar tiger-bear, nevertheless the FIRE NATION."

Still, despite everything, it was just another day in the beautiful Southern Water Tribe. The sun was showing it's face, which was a nice difference than when it hid during the Dark Months of winter. Katara, for that was the teen's name, loved the power of the moon, yes, but her fellow tribesmen were not capable of feeling the power, and thought of the Dark Months as days when it was impossible to find food.

She could understand-

"BLACK SNOW! BLACK SNOW!" came a shrill voice. "BLACK SNOW!"

The sound of water hitting the ice floor filled the ice hut. Quickly, and steadily, Katara reached around her igloo and nabbed her prepacked bags and goodies. Inside each one was a prepared set of food, clothes, and the bare necessities to make a new igloo. As a side note, she also grabbed a second set - the one that belonged to her brother.

She was not panicking. She was going with the flow, like any good Water Bending master would tell her to... she assumed. With quick footing, long since used to the slippage of the ice and the softness of snow, she tossed everything onto the family sled.

And what a sled it was. Sleek oak wood imported from overseas and freshly lacquered shine reflected her steadfast appearance. It was meant to be drawn by a few of the arctic animals for trade and hunting by the village during the summer, but also a quick means of running away.

Katara was about to haul herself onwards, ready to flee towards the side, when she realized something in her horror. With a quick gasp, she reached towards her neck, patting it; realizing that she forgot something that meant more than just a sled with provisions upon it. Despite knowing otherwise, DESPITE ALL OF THIS, she pulled her body back into that home of hers and scrambled through everything she could.

Where did she place her mother's necklace!?

WHERE!?

_**WHERE WAS-!?**_

"FIRE ATTACK! BANG! WHOOSH! EXPLOSIONS! Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnddddddddd your dead, Katara."

Blue eyes narrowed as she turned around, flaring her windows to her soul as she scowled. There, right in front of her, was her brother, waving in his hand her necklace that she had 'spent her life' to find. "Sokka! That's was UNCALLED for!"

"No, Katara!" he added back, and she had to wince a bit at that tone of voice. She had heard it before... "No," Sokka added more gently, this time, "I'm afraid not. Do you think the bad guys would let you run back into your house to get personal items? No, they'll find you, and kill you."

"Cause they are Fire Nation scum..." softly muttered Katara in her repetitive response.

It seemed he knew he had made her sad, and brought forth his sloppy grin once more, making the very sun seem just a tiny bit brighter while handing back her necklace. "But other than that hiccup, you did a really great job! Only three minutes to get everything packed onto the sled! See-!" Sokka happily added, flexing his muscles in jest, "told ya that my awesome plans of awesome escape from evil fire people were good - no - FANTASTIC!"

She threw a lichen at him, deadpanning, but giving him him a heartfelt answer nevertheless. "Yes, Sokka. Such a _great_ plan." To be utterly honest, there was nothing left of the Southern Water Tribe to attack in the first place, but it made Sokka happy, at least. Unfortunately, now she would have to go back and get those blasted socks heated back up again. Not to mention place all the bags up in their proper place and send the sled puller animals to the field to graze while they can in the summer. Honestly, sometimes her brother would forget that keeping a home in a working condition was a lot of effort with-

A small child, with a little blue parka wrapped around his body, showcasing his loyalty towards the remnants of the once pride tribe of the south, came out from the side road, panting in breath. Poor little thing was red in the face, and seemed to be unable to catch even the slightest of breath! Katara had recognized him as one of Sokka's... 'warriors' that he trained every day. [Or, at least, tried his hardest to.]

But what was he doing over here? Did Sokka forget his boomerang, _**again**_?

"Sup, Kaolin?" her brother asked, tilting his head while rubbing his back at the same time. "The tower didn't fall over again, did it?" Sokka moaned, recalling the last time the child had come over in such a frenzy.

It took only a few moment, but the child managed to gasp enough air to make a few sounds. Only, Katara wasn't TRULY listening, for there was something else nefarious going on. Her eyes were on her brother, for she was about to retort to him a funny saying in reprimand.

Only, she noticed something black on her brother's white fur lining of his parka.

A single, utter black snowflake.

"B-black... s-snow!" gasped out Kaolin.

There, in the far, far edges of the sky, high high above, hidden behind the slowly passing clouds that were not currently blocking the sun, was a column of ash.

[*-*-*-*]

People were milling all about as Sokka grabbed his sister's hand and ran through the village. As fast as he could, he spread along the warning, but most of them already knew by then. After all, as a collective mind, the people of this little town knew with dread of what black snow brought.

Technically, he was going against his own plan. The one that had Katara on that little sled. The one that had his only sibling escaping towards the frozen tundra and glaciers that could hide them in their element. The one that would have her safe, yes, but...

But their Grandmother wasn't at the home of his father's, like she should have been! She was off in the village in her OWN igloo, and, well, Sokka just couldn't LEAVE her there! Katara thought that the two supplies were for Sokka and herself, but, they were really for her and her grandmother.

Sokka would condemn himself first before he let the Fire Nation enter the village without him there to protect it!

Everywhere there was calamity. Yes, there was a sense of rough structure, for Sokka had planned such a contingency, but it was one thing to practice the threat of Black Snow for laughs, but another thing entirely to deal with it for real. His blue eyes turned quickly to analyze his sister's form, and he was struck with yet another sense of dread. Did the Fire Nation somehow find out that Katara was officially the last Water Bender in the south? Were they coming down here to kill her?

To wipe away his village and make him fail in everything: his sister, his livelihood, his father's wishes; himself?

"C'mon, Katara!" he half-yelled out in worry. "We don't have a lot of time to spare! Those damn ships could be upon us at any time!" He remembered how his father told him of the story of how the raiders from the Fire Nation came, with their impossibly fast moving ships. They were smoke on the horizon one moment, and then, within an hour, they were upon the shores.

Which was WHY it was crucial to have a plan in set, for such an emergency!

In the looming distance was the leaning tower of snow that he had worked hard on. Sure, it may not be the most impressive, anti-Fire Nation contraption seen to the world, but it HAD done it's job, letting the lookouts upon the hap-hazard platform see the traces of the Black Snow. The sun was still shinning, too, as if mocking the small village who had dared try to spend the day in potential happiness.

Children were screaming and mothers were trying to drag them along, knowing full well that their fathers, husbands; brothers were far away on the Earth Kingdom coasts. There was no one to protect them other than the frail grandfathers and the young boys.

And Sokka.

Katara might joke along that he's an idiot, but he's not THAT stupid. But, he couldn't leave the village until every. single. last. person. was safe. It was a manner of honor and manly pride! Not to mention his father would think the worst if he left the village - which was under HIS care while the Chief was gone - with helpless people still inside.

The igloo of their grandmother's was in a mess. She, too, was trying to pack away things... Mementos of her daughter that died in the previous raid: a hairbrush that still had her hair. The pillow and sheets she used as a young girl. The small doll she once treasured.

Sokka felt like a knife was being stabbed in his heart when he also grabbed Kanna by the arm and forcefully pulled her away from his own mother's possessions. Yet, he couldn't let them stall here-!

"SOKKA!" cried out his sister, looking as if she was slapped. "What are you DOING!? We should helping Granny, not- not this!"

"I'm doing this to protect you!" he replied, hastily ignoring the older woman's pleas. She didn't want to leave her house without those memories. Couldn't Sokka see, without them, how could she live!?

It was that kind of mentality that Sokka saw in his sister. The kind that could - and would - get her killed. Oh, he could understand, but-!

That was when he smelled it. The scent of burning coal. It was such a unique scent - something he had only experienced once before. Like his sister, he, too, could recall the invasion that had killed his own mother.

Sokka let go of his sister's and grandmother's arms just then, setting a blank look upon his face as his hands instinctively reached towards his back where his boomerang was held. They glanced at him, thinking that he understood their desire to collect their _material_ possessions, but that was not the truth.

They were too slow. They were too late.

The Fire Nation had arrived.

[*-*-*-*]

The scenery was almost _breathtaking_. Jagged lines of ice filled the line of sight as far as it could go, echoing the deep colors of blue clarity. The ocean in this little cove made of frozen water was as still and as glossy as a mirror, showing only the little pits of soot from the coal powered engines. The entire world was so sheer white and crystal blue that the black haired teenager on the helm of the ship could only feel slightly off placed with his dark, steel grey ships plowing through the waters.

"Prince Zuko," came the voice of one of his helmsmen, offering a cup of tea. Although Zuko wasn't a big fan of the leaf-flavored water business, tea leaves were easier to care for over the ocean voyage than oranges, or other types of drink. "-we are only about thirty minutes from the shore line with the rest of the micro-flotilla. Some of our scouts have already reached the shores of the Southern Water Tribe."

Golden eyes scanned the horizon once again, carefully sipping on his tea. In the background was the movement of marines, engineers, and other such people, ready to start a new chapter in the world. _I wonder how Father does it,_ he added, trying not to gag on the taste of jasmine going down his throat, _this stuff is... unique tasting, alright._ "What of the scouts?" he asked, curious over his men as he dumped the remainder of the cup's contents overboard without the helmsman noticing [as to not think he was upset with the man].

"They reported nothing more than women, children, and a few men either too old or young for the war effort. Oh, and one really... ugly tower."

He nodded, tapping his fingers on the iron railing in thought. He had long since learned to not squeeze them in a similar action, due to the fact that the engineers wouldn't look too kindly on having to fix it... _**again**_. Zuko glanced through the telescope, trying to see what the scouts could see.

There it was, in the far distance, the sixteen year old Fire Nation Crown Prince could see the saddest little watch tower he had ever seen. A frown formed on his face at that sight. Surely, the Northern Water Tribe wouldn't leave their sister tribe all alone to fend for themselves with just THAT as protection? Surely, those well walled citizens of the north knew that the south was falling on desperate times?

Some 'family based' nation.

With quick steps, Zuko stepped out of the cold, allowing himself to stop the subtle Fire Bending that was keeping him warm with only the set of light Royal Armor upon him. Entering the command tower posthaste, he turned to look at the sets of enamored detailed maps lying on an ebony and gold inlaid table. Surrounding that was endless charts from around the world, compiled from decades of research done from both land and sea. Perhaps his favorite was the map as large as his room, showcasing the entire world.

All presents from his father.

Placed on the maps were figurines of his ship, as well as the three other ships he had arrived with. Far towards the north were the plotted markings of each major Fire Nation battalion on their worldly conquest. The figures, though meaning to be showcasing a serious topic, actually had motifs that were... rather humorous. There was a cook defeating an Earth Kingdom warrior with a frying pan, a Yu Yan archer sniping the pants off a Northern Water Tribe dignitary, and a model of his Uncle Zhao running over an enemy wooden ship with his cruiser.

All presents from his mother.

His finger trailed over the location of the Southern Water Tribe as he thought to himself. Alas, he wasn't alone. "Well, with only women and children, we shouldn't expect much, if ANY, fighting," came a happy note in the background. "Think of how my aura will be with it not _**only**_ being blue from the cold, but green from fighting! Blue and green don't make my favorite aura, pink, you know!"

He took a glance up to see the happy-go-lucky facade of his good friend, Ty Lee, only to slightly deadpan when he noticed she was balancing on one of the steam pipes on the roof. "What are you doing?"

"Showing that not only **_you_** can sneak around like a stealthy demon in the night, duh!" And with that, her tan hair flipped around in a twist as she landed gracefully on the floor, throwing her hands up in excitement. "Welllllll...?" Ty Lee trailed off, expecting something in return.

"Fine, fine..." Zuko muttered a bit, bringing his hands together to clap for her performance in pure sarcasm. "I'll say... six."

"SIX!?" came the aghast reply. "That was at LEAST a seven for sneaking up there in the first place! I ran into at _least_ three cobwebs!"

"Still a six," was all Zuko added.

She did another flourish, then a twirl, before flying into the air in a backwards somersault, grabbing the female-aimed coat hanging in the distance. In mid air, she placed it upon her body, did another 360, before landing on the far side of the command center. "I dunno about you, but the Southern Water Tribe would have _definitely_ placed that as an EIGHT."

And that brought everything back into the reality. Zuko was here with a purpose. A noble one, at that; one that his parents asked him to do in his own, unique way. Although, to be fair, it was kinda like a small slap on the wrist as well due to misbehaving.

Six months ago, he had argued over the folly of sending his nation's soldiers to die for only a few miles of ground - an idea set up by an oh, so BRILLIANT general. Unfortunately, he had offhandedly insulted his father, who had agreed with that plan in the first place. Zuko didn't want to even think of how killing off entire battalions would be worth anything, whereas his father wanted that land to be that much closer to reclaiming Ba Sing Se.

He would be lying he had said there were no tensions between father and son due to that. Lucky for him, though, his mother came in with a great solution before it could have led to both saying and doing things they would have regretted. Why not take those men, and give them to Zuko? Let him try to gain some property for the glories of the Fire Nation in his own fashion? To see who would be better? Harden pressures through the slogging Earth Kingdom or through attacks with the least collateral damage, but out of the way, goal-speaking?

_ "It would provide some time to cool both your heads down," Ursa had mentioned, looking at both of the men in her life with a slight chastising tone. "Zuko, you should know better than irk your father over the war. It's been very long for all of us, and all he wants to to unite the land under our flag. And you, dear husband, should do well to understand that your son wants to do his part, even if his ideas are 'rebellious' to yours. Don't you dare let me go on about stories when you were younger against your own father's wishes! Besides, it's about time that our darling son get into the war himself, one way or another. He's ready."_

He missed his parents: his adoring mother and wise father. They were both there on the dock, sad to see him off as he was to begin his own mission. What a day of fanfare it was: four fully decked out ships - three war cruisers and one speed vessel being blessed by the spirits, before floating off into the setting sun of the blood red ocean.

The only thing not serious in that entire setting was the giggling Ty Lee - a cumbersome, but great friend who was also helping to train him in the subtle acts of quick movement.

Speaking of that girl, she had plopped her head in front of Zuko, upside down of all things. "Princy Pants, you ready to conquer the South!?"

He made sure that his armor was in tip top shape, before heading back towards the door that lead towards the poop deck. "It's my job to make sure the Southern Water Tribe becomes an affluent member of the Fire Nation, not scare the locals into a rule of fear," he added, before leaving the acrobatic woman alone.

She folded her arms, still upside down, huffing in jest. "Yeah, well... _I'll_ still call it conquering!" She then landed, before suddenly realizing something, gasping in bliss. "Maybe Zuko will let me make a new friend! Uwaa!"

Out on the deck, a plethora of soldiers, sailors, and the crew mingled around, ready to put on quite a show. Last minute checks on their armor were being completed. Bellies were filling up on water, just in case the locals poisoned their own supply. Just up ahead were three of the ships, already on the land, rounding up the local populace.

_Good_, the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation thought, scanning the skyline just as he had done just moments prior, _not one smear of smoke. It would do well to not destroy what little infrastructure such a land has._

For, if the Northern Water Tribe would leave their sister tribe to fall to near self-destruction, the Fire Nation would come with their red and black flags, welcoming their new addition.

The grass was always greener under the sun's warm embrace.

[*-*-*-*]

_Zuko can be difficult to write. He has no reason to be super king of the angst land, but at the same time, he needs to still be ZUKO. So, I hope I did him justice. That aside, is that Katara and Sokka you see? Yes, yes it is! And face it people, they live during a war time. The Southern Water Tribe sure did look like they were in dire straights even before the start of Avatar the series. I mean, they got decimated by Raiders. Not an army force, but RAIDERS, known to prey on those who cannot protect themselves. Sokka was a little hard to write, too, because I know he's a funny, cool guy, but since the story starts with them and an invasion, it's hard to show that side. Kinda can't be all laughs and giggles when you fear for your life?_

_People have asked me about pairings. I have a few ideas on where it can go, but I'm a terrible writer for love and romance. Seriously, a pigeon could do better than me. Whatever the case, don't expect it to be obvious. I'm evil that way!_

_As always, thank you for your lovely reviews and rates! Please continue to do so! Nothing makes Fehize happier than leaving a nice day of work seeing awesome messages on my phone. -smiles and nods-_


	6. Chapter 6

_An Ode to the Pheonix Heir_  
_By: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

There were few words that could describe the situation at hand. On one side, you could add a few phrases about the breathtaking scenery that stretched from the land to the sky. The jagged icy peaks that were only about as tall as a thumb aboard a ship were now towering over even the tallest of the small fleet up close. On the other hand, looking and admiring the landscape also made one tend to overlook the bad side about landing in the far south.

Aside from the cold.

And the wet.

Never had Zuko seen any group of people more downcast and afraid and sheer... _pitiful_ looking in his life. Oh, he understood that there were mainly only women and children left now in what could be best called as the Southern Water Tribe, but to think it was THIS bad?

Towards the back were the small children, as if hiding from the Fire Nation troops that were upon the ice shelf, trampling on 'their land'. Over protective mothers formed a line in front of them; some were crying [which made the teen feel rather awkward] while others had a face set in utter defeat. Ahead of the mothers were the grandmothers and grandfathers, who had grown up and lived with the war their entire lives. In fact, one could argue they knew nothing but OF war, and as such, they knew what was to come. [Or, rather, what could come to their point of view. The Crown Prince had other ideas in his mind.]

However, it was the very front that made the not-yet adult from the land of the west experience anger. Anger at the Northern Water Tribe for abandoning what should have been family, anger at the men who left the village in plainly incapable hands, and, most importantly, anger at their sheer stupidity of the village for thinking he was there to destroy them!

It was written on their faces. Remarked on how they tilted their faces to avoid him and his soldiers. Relayed on the very shuffle of their feet.

Except for that one boy.

Brown hair and brown skin adorned the most determined blue eyes Zuko had ever seen. In fact, it was the ONLY other near-adult male of the entire village, a fact that it didn't take long to observe. The way he had placed his feet - to the left for balance and the right for a swift battle pose - only enforced the idea that whoever that kid was, he was going to try to protect his village from 'invasion'.

Zuko mentally groaned at that.

Alas, Ty Lee could think otherwise. She was only a few steps behind him, to the right, wearing one of the most ridiculous red winter coats in existence. It had cheetah-panda lined edging, for Agni's sake! Her cheeks were red, her hands were rubbing with one another for warmth, but her face was in her usual smile. Unlike Zuko, who was taking the time to examine the situation at hand [luckily, it seemed less and less that he would have to gain dominance via overt pressure], she was only staring at the lone pony-tailed, brown-skinned, Southern Water Tribe male.

Staring with a quirk.

"Don't you dare-" he began, but was ultimately cut off. As expected.

"Too late!" A rustle of wool. A startling sense of movement from his right, rushing forwards. Swooping legs off his peripheral vision. With a falsely simple maneuver, Ty Lee had cartwheeled herself right in front of the now stunned teen, raising her arms up with a flourish.

"What the-!?" was the obvious reaction from the Southern Water Tribe kid, as he held more tightly on an odd shaped piece of... Was that _**bone**_? Some bone based, 90 degree angled weapon of some kind? _Who makes weapons out of animal byproducts anymore? _Zuko mused while Ty Lee kept showing off.

The war was already one hundred years old. Clearly, hopefully, SURELY, at least, the simple knowledge of _iron_ had reached these southern shores. Otherwise, he would have far, far more work than he would have thought.

"Hi!" the acrobat begun, huffing locks of hair out from her face. "My name's Ty Lee! I like circuses and monkeys! What's your name!?"

Zuko could see from the way the kid moved his stance that he was about to engage on Ty Lee. He did a little wave to prevent his troops from moving forwards in aggression, muttering that Ty Lee could take care of herself, even if the enemy might be a bender. Besides, he didn't want to entice panic on these people!

Give it an hour or so, and these derelict Southern Water Tribe members would be under a new banner and name.

Just not called 'The Southern Port of Ozai'. That sounded... rather lame.

"I will not let this village fall under Fire Nation SCUM!" the young voice rang out, as he grabbed the bone and threw it hard against the wind. Sadly, it missed Ty Lee by miles - hell, she didn't even have to dodge. She literally just stood there, laughing as if she knew a joke the teen didn't.

"O? You wanna dance instead!? Awesome!" The girl placed her hand into the kid's grip after a jump over his body, forcing the 'warrior' to loose balance and nearly fall to the ground. A pout formed on her features, as she began to twirl the unknown male like a hula hoop. "But you should know that it's much nicer giving a girl her name, first, silly!"

How about the name of 'Azulon'? No, not quite. He was not fond of his grandfather - not even the old man's memory. In fact, his childhood memories were more of a man hiding behind fire than an impressive Fire Lord... unlike like his father.

One could start feeling sorry for the poor kid, who was now showing signs of being visually sick. Zuko knew from experience that being spun around from Ty Lee must be some unwritten form of torture. Apparently the bone weapon had swung back from where it was flung off to, but in typical Ty Lee fashion, she did a cartwheel, then a backwards flip, over the thing as the kid barely managed to catch it back.

Which was rather impressive for a little uncultured savage, considering he must be seeing three Ty Lees by now.

'Glacieria' did not also give a good ring to Zuko's ears. It wasn't as if he could grant the name 'The Southern Water Tribe of the Fire Nation', either. He couldn't name it after typical Fire Nation nomenclature as well, for they tended to be base off different words for 'fire'. Calling the new area 'Port Propane' was almost as bad as calling the capital city of Caldera 'Ice Shelf'.

Someone moved in the back, stopping not only Zuko's train of thought, but also his lopsided friend. It was a girl, with an odd hairstyle hugging her cheeks, rushing forwards with a sense of urgency. Sheer loathing was etched on her face as she rushed towards the now fallen - due to dizziness - kid.

Siblings? They did look similar. Same skin color. Same dazzling shade of blue eyes rivaling the glaciers in the background. Look-a-like facial features.

Same lack of common sense.

Her arms moved towards the side as she yelled at not only Ty Lee, but Zuko as well. She seemed to have slightly more intellect that he was someone of some importance [he WAS wearing the gold of Fire Nation royalty], but couldn't grasp the significance. "YOU MONSTERS! You attacked and raided our village already once before! And NOW YOU COME BACK and injured SOKKA!"

Ty Lee shrugged. "Zuko said to not do any damage. I was just taking him for a twirl~! Besides, why would I injure someone with a blue aura like his!? Your red aura, though... that's not at all nice to see!"

Cryoborealis? It sounded good, but he doubted that many people would enjoy the lack of even a subtle trace of fire in it.

"You _things_ from the Fire Nation-!" In the back of Zuko's mind, he could see that she was putting her body into a stance, on top of him being affronted at being called an object. But, clearly, she couldn't do any martial arts in that large parka...

"N-No! Katara! No! Think of mom's sacrifice!"

How about 'Coldfire'? Rather literal. In fact, too literal for Zuko to admire.

The kid was finally regaining his sense of being. His sister[?] - cousin[?], niece[?], whatever the case - was still there, clutching his form with that _**look**_. Ty Lee was smiling again, acting as if she had just won a grand prize. The rest of the villagers were simply stunned over the course of events. The Fire Nation troops were standing back, as were told...

As for Zuko?

He finally decided on the name 'Corona'.

[*-*-*-*]

That teenager that he had glanced at earlier - for it was impossible for the Fire Nation dude to be an adult, no matter how [dare Sokka say _regal_] he stood - was as cold as the air around the village. It was obvious that he was someone important, but HOW important, the Water Tribe boy didn't know nor did he even care! Heck, Sokka had more **pressing** issues at hand!

He got his ass kicked by a girl!

A _girl_!

A Fire Nation female!

The Fire Nation female that had been part of the invasion and took over the Southern Water Tribe without so much as a spark of fire to be seen. In fact, the only sign of struggle was his ineptitude against...!

The sound of splashing water could be heard as something fuzzy rubbed against his head. His sister was always such a worrywart, but in this case, he couldn't blame her. He had fallen in battle not from a stabbing or a wound, but from being spun. Therefore, as such, he was still lying down on his bedding. At home.

Not free.

Not away from the Fire Nation.

"Katara..." he sounded softly, looking up at his sister, whose facial features were hidden at the moment. "I'm sorry. I should have-"

Her hands clutched tightly as she dunked a piece of wool into a basin of heated water. His sister's voice trembled, "I was afraid they were going to kill you." With a quick thrust, she spun and looked him right in the face, with eyes flashing and an expression he had never seen before. "I was THIS CLOSE-" water splashed all around her; Water Bending caused by her distress, "-to loosing you like MOM! You- You cannot-! I-!"

He reached forwards and gave his sister a hug, feeling a whole new world knocking down on his doorstep. In the background, one could hear the sounds of the Fire Nation Navy stomping around in their armor. It was frightening to think and admit, but the Southern Water Tribe was no more.

But... what would happen to him? His sister? He expected fire. Brimstone. The melting of the glaciers in the rage of the demons from the west. Not something as 'benign' as the sailors dropping anchor and looking at the scenery.

Oh, and taking over their lands.

Details, details.

"I'm glad you didn't show off your Water Bending," Sokka began, rubbing his back as he made sure the burlap over the igloo's door was tucked down safe and sound. "It would have gone... disastrous."

Still, it didn't get the words out he wanted to say. Express. How was he to deal with the reality outside his igloo? How was he to DEAL with the Fire Nation waltzing around with him not doing so much as a bruise? His father would be ashamed; devastated, even. Would his dad find out the news and fear the worst? Would the enemy find out Katara was a Water Bender and kill her like they did to all of the others? Would he eventually become sister-less? Would his people be moved out?

What did the Fire Nation plan for them?

"We'll get them out of our village... _somehow_," came the emphasis from Katara, as the cold, bitter words could he heard over all of the background commotion.

Sokka agreed, verbally, but in his heart, he didn't believe it. After all, it wasn't as if the Fire Nation would pack their bags and move away.

[*-*-*-*]

It had been a week.

Sokka had yet to see the teenager that stepped off the boat [who was his original target until the cartwheeling woman jumped in] again, but he had long since heard that guy's name rumbling amongst the streets.

Yes, streets. Granted, they were crudely constructed streets made of compacting the snow into hard, long, and straight lines with lampposts on the edges. But, it was the first time in a LONG time the Southern Water Tribe had such things.

It wasn't just any ordinary teen that had come over like an ice flow and jam packed the village without so much as a 'how do you do'. No, it was the Grand Baobab of the Not-So-Innocent. The Prince of Ironic Tendencies. Son of Master Flameo of Volcano. Whereas Sokka was 15 and had managed to somehow LOOSE everything, this 'Zuko' guy had to be only at least 16 or 17 and had already taken over a village!

HIS!

The warrior was walking on previously stated roads, looking at the market, which had Fire Nation guards not too far away from sight. It took everything inside of him to simply not shiver in fear every time he took a step outside his family's igloo. Everywhere the eye could see were those lampposts; only a few of them had the startling eye-catching red banners of a black flame.

In fact, one could hear the sound of ice being melted in the distance, and the sounds of Fire Nation men and women groaning. Sokka wondered what they were doing with such large cubes of ice, but if he had to guess, it was probably for building something. But, what? The invaders didn't know how to make igloos, and there was no way anyone from the village was going to tell them that.

Whatever it was, it took the majority of the sailors from the ships to do. Many layers of ice from around the area not connected to the shorelines were being cut or burned into cubes. It was almost like a giant ice quarry.

"They don't plan on leaving," Sokka muttered to himself, trying to ignore the looks the Fire Nation monsters gave him as he walked by. He couldn't see their expressions underneath those faceplates, but he was sure it wasn't a token of affection.

The market was still there, yes, and was still run by the Water Tribe people, but the once jolly air around it had vanished. Instead hung a sense of fear for the future. Sokka had heard tales from his father that the Fire Nation had taken over cities before, only to claim them as colonies if they were important enough.

As much as Sokka loved his home, he knew the Southern Water Tribe wasn't important enough for much of anything.

So... why an invasion if not to kill everyone off?

"Another beautiful morning in Corona! Anyways, do you know how many people have blue auras? Not that many, especially here! Practically everyone's is all dark and black and moody! It's making my pink one starting to become... well, less pink!"

Sokka rolled his eyes, groaning.

Ty Lee had found him. Again.

"Go away," he muttered as he traded away some tusks and fur from the wild animals for a slap of whale meat and sea prunes. He was in no mode to entertain this crazy Fire Nation chick. It was bad enough she had found him again four days ago. No way it was going to get any better.

She jumped in front of him, shaking her head back and forth, tsk tsking all the way. "You know, sometimes you make it sound like you don't _want _to be friends with me. Which is all bad, cause friends are FUN!"

The teen turned and huffed. "I am NOT your friend!"

"I've never seen an area so BLUE, and, of course, I want you to be my friend, dur, silly goose. If Zuko says him and his troops - and me - are going to be staying here doing 'beautification' and 'organization', you better believe I'm going to be around you! I've never had so much fun dancing with someone!

"You know, aside from a dancing monkey~"

Her brown hair was looping back and forth as Sokka kept his scowl on. Still, the words she said brought forth some information. Organization? Maybe that was what the ice blocks were for. Some sort of building project that for some reason the Fire Nation wanted in the south.

But what was so damn important? The only thing Sokka could think of was the ocean currents, which began at the poles and went away, making coming back a slow slog unless you had those blasted coal-powered ships. Still...!

A cheerful voice added on top, over stepping his thoughts. "That food... looks icky. Haven't you ever had fire flakes? Now THAT... is a meal!"

He could only think of how angry his sister would be - again - at the world when she would find out that he was harassed by Ty Lee once more. Katara claimed that she was sent from the enemy to gather intelligence from the children of the chief, but in this case, Sokka had to differ in opinion.

A skilled enemy this crazy lady was.

Smart...?

Not so much.

"I'm here to buy sea prunes and then leave, Ty Lee! Go harass.. the ocean or something!" It was simply embarrassing how easy she could defeat him in combat.

"Oh, that's no fun at all!" she muttered, placing a finger on her cheek in thought. "Besides, there's another reason why I was told to come find you today. You're the closest thing the old Southern Water Tribe had to a chief, and Zuko wants to talk about stuff. Ergo, you and your blue aura are invited to dinner! But not your sister. Your sister is a jerk."

"Besides, you can't say no to your Crown Prince, eh?" she had the audacity to add with a smile and twirl.

If Sokka could have pooped sea prunes, he would have. His mouth, however, was more than happy to hang in disbelief.

[*-*-*-*]

Black hair hovered over his eyes as pale skinned hands leafed through reports, data lists, information; it went on and on. He had been groomed and raised for this instance from his teachers and family back at the Royal Palace, but on a much larger scale. That being said, it was all theory, yet, here he was doing the practical. Running and setting up the beginnings of not just a southern colony, but also...

A frown graced his face for a few moments. He clearly had a trace of hubris inside him if he thought he could create a stronghold in the south for the Fire Nation. Theoretically, it was a smart move. The Fire Nation could have a port that would not be hammered by hurricanes and monsoons every summer, have strong walls and barricades [for ice could be stronger than steel in this weather] against invasions, and, most importantly, it would give the Fire Nation access to the southern ocean.

As he flipped through those pages written in ash ink, he recalled his father's mutter of how susceptible the Earth Kingdom was to a southern invasion. Granted, his father didn't think the arctic south could be useful, but if he could prove his father wrong and help the Fire Nation at the same time, all the better.

His mother would laugh at Zuko's stance.

Before long, however, he began to pack up his papers and arrange them in the selves in the ship's room.

He had a dinner to attend.

[*-*-*-*]

_Sorry for the delay! I had morning shift this week, meaning that I went straight home afterwards... and took many a nap instead of writing or playing games! Jaja! On the bright side, work was fun~ Got to see some interesting airplane things... -laughs nefariously-_

_Oh, and we got to see Sokka fight. Katara being worried/angry. Some hints of a possible plot. More Ty Lee, who is surprisingly fun to write! And, of course, Zuko, who is the main character of this story, planning._

_In case it's not obvious, there will be time skips here and there. Not because i don't want to write what happens between those days, but rather, because I'd rather not bore you, my readers, with stuff like, 'Zuko ate lunch and practiced and then did stuff that he does everyday' for however so many straight days._

_For the record, the reason why I chose the name Corona was due to the fact the corona is hotter than the surface of the sun, but the plasma particles are so far apart that you can stick your hand in it and not burn it. Kinda like a cold, yet hot fire! Theories say it keeps its heat due to some form of magnetism._

_SCIENCE~!_


	7. Chapter 7

_An Ode to the Phoenix Heir_  
_By: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

A golden flame resting upon a set of jet black locks. A set of golden painted finger nails. Crimson satins and silks trimmed with gold filled with decadence. Golden ornaments decked over the wrists to chime with small noises.

Fire Lady Ursa sipped her tea in silence, long since used to the metal the color of the sun, as she mused over the comings and going of the palace. It had been far too long since she had tried to place her words into script, especially in such an occasion. How long has it been since she had seen her son? A few months, at least. Three? Or was it four?

She caught herself nibbling on the porcelain edges of her cup; a frown graced her features as she shook her head. It was simply not of proper ladyship to act in such a way, yet, here she was going through, anyways. Clearly, there was something much larger on her mind than drinking tea and observing her surroundings...

And there was.

She hadn't heard from her son, personally, for a good many days - almost a month, even. Her sweet husband, Ozai, tried to act in front of the generals that he surrounded himself with that he didn't feel the same sense of loss that Ursa did...

But, she knew better.

A set of manicured finger nails picked up the pen, perfectly designed for eloquent brushstrokes and kanji letters. It was a gift from the Fire Lord, one she cherished deeply, for her dear knew how much Ursa loved the finer things in life. Being able to write down black ash ink from burnt ebony trees upon the purest of white bleached paper, all topped off with a sealed emblem of the Fire Lady's waxen vigil? Such sheer excess could only be for important individuals.

One that she and her husband had worked long and hard to achieve.

Victory still tasted sweet, even after all these years.

_My sweet, affable Zuko,_ the words began, placed slowly by the Lady in question. Only, how to add on? Should she add about the comings and going of politics? Such information might not yet be important to the Crown Prince - him being so far from the home land and all - but not keeping him in the loop made it dangerous in some ways. Should Ursa write about how his father was doing? The Fire Lady was, after all, unaware that Ozai had already sent off a package of letters the night before. The war, despite the fact he was living in it [if a tiny part], was always on her mind.

_I hear from Ozai that you named your first conquered city 'Corona'. He jokingly miffed that you should have called it 'The All Powerful Port of Zukolopolis'. In true fashion, he paraded your victory to the War Council. _Some of the old generals still had yet to get the note etched into them that it was Ozai and Zuko that was the current and future generation, **not** Iroh and Lu Ten. To those that DID support them throughout their minds, however, it was a note that Zuko could claim his own successes, even if he did tend to differ in his mindset of how to get things accomplished.

_Your Uncle Zhao sends his regards from more northern waters. I'm sure you two keep in touch via hawks, so I'll leave his thoughts with you. I could never understand you two men and the ocean. Sometimes, I wonder if you both are not part catfish!_ Ozai had such a way of garnering people under his rule with his words. He was an eloquent speaker, capable of making any kind of person drop whatever they were doing and just simply join the cause of the Fire Nation. Of course, her husbands other dream - of a world united by the black flame - was only whispered between the both of them. There was still too much stuff to do; in some retrospects, you could argue that goal was even loftier than establishing the title of Fire Nation Royalty.

Zuko, however, also had elegance in his words. Whereas Ozai could persuade even pacifist sages of the Fire Temples to fight for the glories of their great nation, Ursa was positive the Crown Prince could do better.

Iroh was a good test, after all, and Ozai's brother _**truly**_ did care for her son, as she had planned. Even to the point where he would sacrifice _himself_ to ensure Zuko's continuation.

Not that the Fire Lady wanted the death of Iroh any time soon, naturally.

_As your mother, I will always be worried with you amongst the... well, I can't say 'savages' anymore, due to them being now Fire Nation people. Well, let's just go with endlessly spinning thoughts. I think about you at least twice an hour, if not more, consciously, and far, far more in my dreams._ She wished him all the glories he deserves, but to commit that to writing?

Her letter to her son took much of her afternoon, with the passing servants in their red and yellow outfits almost being lost to her senses. It was always difficult to write... especially as a mother.

Her second letter, however, did not. Ursa had a soft spot, yes, in her heart, for Zuko and his smiles, but she was still the Fire Lady. And a proper Fire Lady acted in ways to help her nation - the dreams of her husband which will be placed upon her son's when she and Ozai grew old and frail.

_Admiral Zhao,_

_ Fire Lord Ozai have told me many rumbles of your plan for the North. As you know, I am not a tactician, nor a general, nor much of a fighter myself._

_ That being said, we are both well aware that Crown Prince Zuko is like a shinning beacon of the sun and you would benefit for having him in the fray when the time comes. His current escapade in the South will bring some well-needed 'real life' experiences, rally his mindset into knowing that the North left their Southern family aside, and potentially have a nice base to fall back upon for Ba Sing Se if his ambitious plans come into fruit._

_ I understand your need to begin the covert exercises without him, and with that I am fine. The Navy, after all, is what the Fire Lord believes in as well._

_ I have faith in you, your Yu Yan, and your sailors. And although you may think Prince Zuko as your family in your own way, also recall he is the Fire Nation's glorious weapon: a molten spear to thrust into the Northern savages._

_ Expect more letters from the Fire Lord when the ships sail towards those blue waters._

_ Until then, peace and blessings of Agni upon you._

_ Fire Lady Ursa_

Her darling son had excellent Fire Nation stances - he fully believed that once you were under the protection and banners of the sun you were a Fire Nation civilian. It was something Ursa loved to culture and nurture, like a ash tree craving water on a hot summer's day. It kept her son's golden eyes on the prize goal - a world unified.

It would be helpful when he would stretch his reach further north. Although the old Southern Water Tribe was already written off by the Earth Kingdom as lost, the same couldn't be said for Gaoling. Such a rich city, filled with economic capabilities, was left alone during the majority of the war due to being tactically unimportant.

Of course, then it had to go get, well, _rich_.

Her gut said that Gaoling would be dealt with before the North issue would be, and that was where she was afraid that Zuko might loose some men.

The Earth Kingdom would have to fight for that town - it was one of their few southern ports left, after all.

A great time for Zuko to get real life experiences, indeed.

[*-*-*-*]

The embers in the fireplace burned gold, like the Crown Prince's eyes. The table was prepared. To be honest, it was one of the mahogany tables brought down from one of the larger ships. It seemed almost impossible to believe, but the south lacked almost all forms of wood. It was such a rare commodity that to even have a table made out of it was considered almost a waste of a resource.

It made the black haired teen feel sick that the local people couldn't even have _wood _en mass.

The room was as innocent and non-provoking as he could think of, while still having the touches of the Fire Nation embellished here and there. Although nowhere near the grandeur of the Royal Palace in Caldera, the control and command room still had traces of what a Crown Prince at sea needed. It was almost hard to tell that the room was actually just a large metal box inside a floating one. The table even had a red tablecloth outlined in black and blue embellishments.

Yes, blue. Zuko thought it was imperative that that certain embroidery was added by the ship's seamstress.

It was the same kind of blue that was echoing on the other male teenager across from him, who was sitting down on the cushions and staring at the decorations with a sense of apathy and suspicion. The black haired teen wasn't that surprised, to be honest, at the kid's expression.

Still, it rather irked him. He wasn't about to blast a fire cone at this Sokka.

At least the son of the once-Chief had a hearty appetite, despite the odd air around them. He had dug into the meat without so much as a 'I thank you for your audience, Crown Prince'!

Customs and courtesies, something else the town of Corona will pick up... in time.

Zuko stretched out his hand towards the rolls and fire flakes, two certain items that he enjoyed. If Sokka wasn't going to try to start up conversations, then he would force it to happen. Either way, the end result would stay the same - things would just turn out better if he could convince the local people that he wasn't a heartless murderer out to ravage their wives and children.

Or his men would.

"You should try the fire flakes. They go excellent with milk," he added.

A blue eye watched him haphazardly. No witty remark for now, but Ty Lee had already filled Zuko in on this teen's tendency to speak of his mind. It was... certainly refreshing to hear what he already said to the acrobat. "I don't think I can trust anything in my mouth with the word 'FIRE' in it."

Zuko's hair fell to the side as he tilted his head. "So, if I were to offer you cactus water from the deserts south of Ba Sing Se, would you drink it solely based off the word 'water'?"

"Pft, hell yeah. It's... water!"

Golden eyes gleamed a bit, internally happy he managed to get something out aside from chewing noises. "That would be your folly then. Cactus water is also called cactus juice, a heavy and disturbing hallucinogenic that-"

"Halucewhatchimacallit?" Sokka bluntly interrupted.

"Hallucinogenic. It means giving you visions and seeing psychedelic objects that are not there. Not everything with the word 'water' in it is good, you know. There is actually a phrase we use call 'dead water', which is where even fish don't swim in. No one knows exactly why, aside from the fact that the water is extremely salty. You can't even drown in it unless you purposefully float on your face."

The brown haired, pony-tailed teen tried to grab a few words, rumbling his hands towards the breaded goods now after the meat has all been consumed. "Look, I'm sure you are FILLED with useless knowledge and stuff, but I'm sure you're not here to give me a science lecture." A mutter of 'these are some damn good Fire Nation rolls, though,' could be heard slightly. "SO," Sokka added, "just get to the point, ok?"

Refreshing, indeed. "Fine. It's about trade for Corona."

A hint of a smirk and some odd laughing noises could be heard from Sokka. "You mean, aside from fish."

_No, I was talking about exporting salt water. Of course not the fish!_ Zuko screamed mentally. "Yes, not the water creatures. I'm talking about a good that you've had under your noses all along, but were too afraid to use it. The object that can renovate this entire shelf and put Corona into a place where your village can get materials for building, all the supplies you need, and more, and no longer have to worry about where the next meal will be from in the dead of winter. A piece of it can change travel in a way only some Fire Nation engineers have postulated due to it's difficulty in coming by."

"Woah, woah, woah! TIME OUT Little Master Flameo of Volcano!" Sokka said, moving his two tanned hands to form an odd shape. "You sure YOU'RE not eating or drinking that cactus juice? Cause you just sound like you just had a 'hallucinogenic' crap right now." A chuckle. "Ha, like as if the Southern Water Tribe-"

"It's Corona."

"-had something to keep us alive. I mean, COME ON; face it! If we had something like that, you'd think we would be using it... against you?"

He frowned as he curled his fingers. Damn it, he was NOT the enemy anymore! "As I have mentioned it, your people fear it. They don't see the fact that it could be something useful. Something to help make this place great as it once was in the past."

"YEAH, before the Fire Nation decided to go PEW PEW PEW FIRE FIRE FIRE on our asses!"

Zuko slammed his hand down on the table, instantly rebutting. "The old Southern Water Tribe had been in a decline long before the Fire Nation headed off towards the sea for it's unification agenda! You would know this, if your tribe had kept records aside from word of mouth." Also if more than just a few select could _**read**_, too, but the Crown Prince had the tact to keep that in his mouth.

The blue eyes of Sokka kept an eye on the candles, which had raised a tad bit, before frowning and folding his arms. "Alright... say... SAY that you have something that you CLAIM could help out everyone in the village. What's to stop you from just out killing everyone?"

He felt like running his golden eyes into a spike, sometimes. Still, better to get the son of the ex-Chief this information so he could spread it around. "Because as you might have already heard, the citizens of _Corona_ are Fire Nation _citizens_, and as such, you now have Fire Nation rights. Unless you decide to break one of our major laws, such punishment isn't even on the table. Name one thing that my people and I haven't done in this past week that you regret."

"Take our lands away," quipped Sokka.

"Did you loose your house?"

"Well, no-"

"Are you housing a Fire Nation military member against your will?"

"No, but-"

"Does the market now have more goods and items for the people of Corona?"

"Well, yeah, b-"

"Are you not allowed from going anywhere you couldn't before?"

"Uh, except that weird ass ice quarry that no one goes anyways, no..."

Clearly Sokka was starting to see, on some point, at _least_, that the Fire Nation people around Corona was a **good** thing. That joining forces in a unified mindset was not the end of the world, no matter how much the Earth Kingdom tried to make the other nation believe.

Ask Zuko, and he would claim the worst offender of war crimes and hate was those blasted people to the far east. Them, with their walls and their ways. Bigots, almost, but his mother always said not everyone was bad, even if their soldiers refused to admit their inevitable defeat. _"Even if they refuse to see the world under a banner of the black flame,"_ he could recall her voice, ghosting in his memories.

Zuko pointed to a simple diagram on the table, pushing aside some of the platters of fruit to showcase to Sokka. "Look," he began, tracing out the planned buildings for the younger teen to see, "roads, schools, shipyards, barracks, markets, cultural centers; most buildings made of ice. These are the improvements that I plan for Corona. For _all_ citizens of my nation."

And, of course, the wall to protect the citizens.

Conflicting thoughts were apparent on Sokka's face, as if he was thinking hard. He even was biting his tongue, a sure sign of distress on some level. "That's... a lot of ice."

"Explains the quarry. But that was before we found out what secrets the deep ice hold."

It took the teen a few seconds to try to grasp the meaning. It was to be expected - for the longest time, Sokka had been told that fire was bad. Fire was evil. Fire burned and maimed. Water was good. Water was life. Water was healing. Anything otherwise was preposterous, and a mix of the two? Forget it.

"Y-you mean the demon ice!? I knew you Fire Nation people were nuts, but, HELLO, it's called 'DEMON ICE' for a **reason**! It has a tendency to EXPLODE and KILL PEOPLE."

At this, the Crown Prince pulled out a piece of ice from a chest that was also sitting upon the mahogany table. It looked like any average ice; as clear and as blue as the breathtaking world around the ship. It wasn't the only item in the chest, for there was also a strange bottle, which looked like it had nothing inside.

Zuko knew otherwise.

He held up the ice in one hand, and summoned a small, white flame in the other. Sokka's face was almost comical, as he tried to fall back on his chair and attempted to cover his face. With a small movement, though, Zuko lit the ice on fire.

Yes, ice. Catching fire.

How interesting the secrets of the south held within.

There was a small noise as the fire caught something that existed WITHIN the ice, and soon the ice piece was covered in an ethereal, blue blame. 'Demon ice' was the name given by the people of the Water Tribe, due to the fact fire and water should NEVER get along. It was considered against the spirits. It was cursed ice, existing below the surface by only a few tens of feet, eager to catch unsuspecting and callous tribe members.

Clathrate hydrates was the term the scientists of the Fire Nation and the Engineer tended to use. Or 'fire-ice', for simplicity. Pretty much ice that had formed with a flammable gas inside it, capable of being melted inside glass containers to be eventually be used as a gas called 'methane', or burning outright.

Sokka's head appeared back from under the table, looking at the chunk of ice that was still burning like a small sun in Zuko's hand - his Fire Bending preventing him from getting even singed. "At first, I will admit, I was only interested in trading whales for oil. Such ice like this was only done in laboratories from my home island due to the lack of natural ice, and even then, such ice was only a theory. It was too impracticable to be placed as a method of fuel over the abundance of coal the Fire Nation has.

"Yet," the prince continued, "the people of the village tend to speak rumors about the past when faced with an uncertain future. Specifically when asked due to one of my Fire Benders almost catching themselves on fire. With ICE."

"Fuel. What's so important about fuel?" The teen asked, almost memorized. Something so cold being so warm for so long... It was almost like a dream. Or a nightmare.

"The Fire Nation runs off coal. Mines it, trades it amongst ourselves, and ruins our rivers with it. The smoke alone is like a beacon we are there. But see here? Not a whiff of smoke, and it's so light. It can't ruin the rivers with its waste, for water IS its waste." Zuko's golden eyes tinted blue in the light, with a small smile upon his lips. He was glad that there was a way for Corona - his _people_ - to flourish far better than he initially thought.

To prove that his way was better than his father's was - no matter how much he loved him - helped, too, despite the unique way of going around to get things done.

The fire eventually died as Zuko sat back down, glad that, despite the almost-argument, things had gone well, generally speaking. "It will take some time before the engineers mass produce engine systems that runs off of clathrate hydrates or methane, but it won't take long for Corona to see the fruits of what it means to be considered a well-important city of the glorious Fire Nation. This ice will change your future, and the future of our people."

Sokka was left speechless, not mentioning anything more until he left. Even then, it was nothing more than a grunt of goodbye. Clearly, Zuko left a lot on his plate. The notice that he only wanted to help the local people probably would confuse anyone that was used to hearing stories that the Fire Nation only caused destruction and death.

He began to snack on the fire flakes a few minutes after Sokka left - such a pity they weren't even tried out, at least - when Ty Lee jumped in from the port windows in typical flair. Her hands reached out again as Zuko blasély added the word 'four' in between swallows.

"That was...! Ok, no, I'll give you that. That did sound like a solid four entree," the talkative girl began, doing a simple handstand while 'walking' around the table in the center of the room.

"Well?"

"WEEELLLL," she began, teasing slightly. "I don't think he'll rise an army of old ladies and women against us. In fact, I could argue we could get him to LIKE the great ol' Fire Nation in a few months or weeks."

"Make it weeks, Ty Lee. If we can get him, we can get the people."

She moaned, flipping upwards to steal a few flakes from Zuko's bowl. "But his sister is a JERKKKKKK," Ty Lee trailed off. Seeing the prince's eye arch, she continued. "SHE'LL be the one to worry about in the future. Her aura is... not very nice!"

Zuko deadpanned a bit, motioning the servants to come in to clean up the table. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sokka's sister Katara, eh? If he could remember well, it was that blue eyed, brown haired female that he saw on the first day he set foot on the ice. Yes... there was something about the way she looked at not just him, but all of the sailors that she saw.

"At least Sokka still has that cute blue aura~"

[*-*-*-*]

He had seen his sister pissed before. Sad before. Even emotionless before. But angry enough to continuously stab a sack of snow for thirty times with a pairing knife?

Nope. Sokka had to admit that was a new one.

"C'mon, Katara," he began again, rolling his eyes, "it was JUST dinner. Besides, that crazy Prince was playing with his halumagenic claphrate hydrate," pronunciation and spelling be damned, "most of the time! It's nothing to be mad about!"

Stab stab stab went the little knife. "That's-" Oh, boy, there went another chunk of snow. "-not the POINT-" Seriously, sometimes Sokka wondered what he would do if HE got angry. "-SOKKA!" She took a deep breath and hid the little thing back into her clothes. "The point is that the Fire Nation prince wanted to talk to you, probably trying to mess you up and turn you evil!"

"He actually sounded like a sincere guy-"

"SOKKA!"

"-for being the Prince of all Evil, you know." Sometimes talking to his sister could be... confusing, especially over the Fire Nation stuff. He had never had this problem before, granted, because they had both thought the same things:

Fire Nation people needed to die. Burn. Get drowned in the sea. Loose the war. Have their cities destroyed. You know, stuff like that.

Then some fancy little Prince had to show up and then toss all of his thoughts into disarray. Seriously, Fire Nation people were...

"He'll stab you in the back, mark my words, Sokka. You and this entire village will be hurting unless we do something!" She paused a moment as she began to make dinner. "Besides, what is 'halumagenic claphrate hydrate', anyways? Must be bad if the Fire Nation wants it..."

He laughed a bit, uneasy about it himself. "Get this, Katara. They want to mine 'demon ice' for fuels."

She didn't even pause. "DEMON ICE!? Are they insane!? Oh, wait, they are _Fire Nation_. Demon and insane could be used to describe them."

He kept his mouth shut this time, not wanting to add something to back up the Fire Nation people. After all, despite the hate, technically THEY were now citizens, if Zuko was to be held to his word. And now that he saw Katara's reaction, the way the Princec stated that they had something so great under their noses and never really paid attention to it made sense. If Sokka was using coal as his power source for those cool machines they had, wouldn't finding a newer power source be so much better and more profitable?

Shit, was he now mentally backing them up?

No, no, no. Fire Nation - bad guys. Earth Kingdom - good guys. Keep it together, Sokka. Even if currently the bad guys aren't exactly acting... all that bad.

"They say... they'll be making buildings for us," Sokka half added as he began slurping his dinner mean. Really, he wasn't all that hungry cause he ate a LOT on that ship, but Katara wouldn't have none of it.

Even though, yeah, the people who invaded their lands were technically evil, they sure did go out of their way - so far - to make sure the village prospered. Which was, unfortunately, going better than his father and his father before him had done.

It left for a chilling feeling in his stomach.

It was a small change in his thought cycle.

And for some reason, he couldn't help but think of a certain brown haired Fire Nation acrobat. Maybe it had to deal with the way she was literally now in their kitchen with a bottle of some Fire Nation drink.

"Hi, Ty Lee," he bemoaned again. Yes, clearly today was going to be a bad day... for Katara.

"Hi, Sokka! Let's go hang out and stuff!" she happily added over his sister's voice of _**what she was doing inside their igloo**_. "Zuko said I had the evening off, and I decided to hang out with my best pal! Your sister can come too, as long as she won't be a poopy pants."

"Get your hands off of Sokka, you- your Fire Nation scum-!"

"Aaaaand offer gone! C'mon, Sokka! I betcha you have never seen a moving picture before! The captain of the ship is going to put it on for everyone and I know how much you like mechanical knickknacks and stuff~" Sokka didn't even have tine to call out to his sister or say no to Ty Lee when she grabbed him by the arms and practically threw him out of the cloth door to the outside.

He managed to glance back to see his sister look _furious_.

A part of him, though, was excited to see what a moving picture was. A part of him wanted to know how such a little mechanical thing could make pictures in the FIRST place. A part of him was beginning to like hanging around with this funny, crazy girl.

...Even if she was a Fire Nation female.

[*-*-*-*]

_There was once a female author called Fehize who really loved her work. However, she is still very new - one of the newest at the job. Thousands of lives are litterally in her voice's command - not that it gets that dire! Being new did not make her unmotivated, however! No, Fehize has already caught up to her non-'facility rated' cohorts, who have been at the non-rated status for over a year. And she wanted to surpass them in getting that rating - the ability to not only work 'on her own', but also know she made it in her work field!_

_Yet, the great supervisor's of Fehize's job have spoken!_

_"To get your facility rating," they begun, "you must get the hardest radar scope!"_

_"Avast!" Fehize yelled to herself! The hardest scope!? The one that washes out the most people from her work place in her work field!? The one that dealt with the most emergiences, bad weather days, regional jets landing into the local airport going hundreds of miles per hour, flying helicopters, gliders, and pilots in training?!_

_Fehize was expecting the 'arrival' position - the so called 'easier arrival scope', instead of arrival's big bad brother; the aptly named WAAR scope, which stood for 'the west approach arrival' position. An approach... *and* an arrival at the same time...! What news!_

_And, thus, Fehize went to arms! To arms! Full fledged into WAAR and battle! For if she could make it here, her spot as a facility rated body was as good as settled! A goal soon slated in her mind - to be rated by no later than February!_

_Consequentally, writing was put on temporary hold until she had enough of a grasp of the scope to understand what was going on, for all her prior positions were all approaches, and had nothing to deal with the arrival part of airplanes. Which is kinda important, as that puts the planes onto the ground._

_THE END OF FEHIZE'S SHORT STORY - for now!_

**_AND LE GASP!_**

_Was this more story? A change in Sokka? Zuko's plan beginning to take shape? Foreshadowing for Gaoling and the North again!? WHAT COULD SHE HAVE PLANNED!?_

_Expect more time skips in the next chapter. Nothing too big, I hope. But if I wanted to write a story that dealt with every single second of every single day, I would never get anywhere. Jaja!_

_As always, please rate and review! It makes Fehize a very happy person~_


	8. Chapter 8

_An Ode to the Phoenix Heir_  
_By: Fehize_

[*-*-*-*]

Days - no, weeks, or was it already more than two months? - seemed to melt by.

Every single day there would be Fire Nation people going to the quarry and digging out chunks and slabs of ice. The one's not filled with the capabilities of catching on fire were hauled out, chiseled with flame and knife into ornate and strange-looking embellishes, and placed into whatever building that slab was slated to be. What was different was the small group - noticeable all the same - of Water Tribe craftsmen working along side the red-clad men and women. It wasn't just there, by the quarry - the major source for work in the 'city' of Corona. No, there were also the locals in the food lines, making hearty meals. A few blue parka clothed citizens could be noticed stacking ice into the shapes of buildings. Other once-people of the ex-Southern Water Tribe were busy away, fortifying the new wall of ice that was to protect their home. Look in even closer to the side, and one could see a tall yellow eyed woman teaching a group of small tanned skinned children the magic of letters and numbers.

You could even hear both red and blue mingle and ask how the others were doing.

To Zuko, looking down upon his city from the ice blue balcony of the 'Governor's Manor' wrapped in his own set of red and gold tipped clothing, a sense of accomplishment was to be had. To be honest, the manor wasn't all that large or grandiose. It was a simple building, constructed with translusive pillars and clear ice for windows. Technically, it was the proposed market building, but for now, it was his headquarters.

Even Zuko had limits as to how long he stayed aboard his ship.

Still, looking down from the third story left for quite a sight. He had heard stories about the glacial beauty of the Northern Water Tribe [a pity they were enemies] from Uncle Iroh, and to bring that to Corona was... fitting.

So it might not be exactly the same - there was a lot of Fire Nation inspired architecture - but the point was still there. It may have taken some time for the locals to get used to not glaring at the black flame banners hanging from every lamppost, but they were getting used to be living as Fire Nation citizens.

As Zuko had thought, as his parents had emphasized, the world would turn out better underneath the flag of the country of the flame. He recalled walking down - or should he say 'sneaking around'? - the icy roads at the twilight hours, and eavesdropping on the locals.

"I still don't trust _them_ all the way," one would say.

"Little Jikka has learned 100 kanji letters, can you believe that?" came the happy note of another.

"It's so strange. They are the Fire Nation, but we have roads, jobs; money... I almost feel like saying 'what's not to hate'?" A quick pause from another, "If only our husbands and sons were here."

"The Prince isn't that bad," was another offhand note. "Not as good as Sokka or Chief, of course, but..."

They weren't always flattering, nor laden with insults. More like a mix of the two - which was better than the first week upon arriving upon these glacial shores. A smile could be seen upon Zuko's facial features at that point. Yes, it was a leap ahead towards progression, something he fully believed in. It was truly a masterpiece.

He wondered what his father would say.

Oh, there were oodles of letters - personal and rhetoric - exchanged between them, but seeing his dad's face? He missed him, despite being already almost an adult. Zuko also missed his mother, with her kind smiles and useful words.

He missed everyone. Even Lo and Li.

"Are you just going to sit by the open air and think, Prince Volcano?" came out a joking response from the background.

Golden eyes took a turn to see the blue clad, tanned teen in the room. A metal boomerang [called, what else?, Boomerang] strapped to his back and a pony tail tight on his skull. While the weapon was now made of Fire Nation iron, everything else on his body was pure 'local'. Who else could it be but Sokka? "Musing is a better word," paltry added Zuko, arching an eye.

To say they were 'friends' would be stretching it. It was more like they were both aware of the benefits of working together. Whereas Zuko was, without a doubt, the ruler and owner of the land on paper, Sokka had the hearts and minds of the new Fire Nation citizens for now. Still, it was a bit nice having the ability to talk to someone who was pretty much his age that wasn't Ty Lee.

Not that Ty Lee was a bad person to talk to... sometimes. She _was_ Zuko's friend.

"Uh, huh. 'Musing'," Sokka emphasized. "Perhaps I should call you Prince Moody Volcano instead?"

At the beginning, when that 'volcano' nickname first came about, some of the sailors and soldiers didn't take too kindly to that. Even the Crown Prince had an opinion on that. However, in what is now apparent typical Sokka fashion...

The warrior didn't give a damn.

Eventually, it lead up towards something Zuko could respect the once-Water Tribe warrior for. Behinds those eyes was a cunning brain and the stubbornness to not back down. Sokka was grudgingly eager to help him plan improvements for the village, but only up to a point not past his 'moral compass'. Collaboration with the sailors wasn't all that bad, but ports and piers big enough for Fire Nation war vessels was a no go - not that Zuko honestly believed otherwise.

It's why he had military civil engineers amongst his troops.

"SOOOOoooo," the tanned teen began, trailing off a bit while overlooking his village as well. It was strange, in hindsight: a Fire Nation Prince and a Water Tribe Chief's son sharing common land. The sun was beginning to reach the pinnacle of the day, with the promises of it being not-as-cold compared to last week. "I still think the name Southern Water Tribe, or at LEAST Port Sokka the Great, would have been better."

The Crown Prince almost snorted, before remembering that princes should never snort.

He did it anyways.

"How is your sister?" Zuko began instead. It was better to start on topics that he knew Sokka held dear to his heart; namely his sibling, the village, or his father. To be honest, the tanned teen was probably no longer eager to jump into the fray like his father currently was, if only because it would leave the village 'unprotected'. The Hier of the Fire Nation also took note that of all the locals, Katara was the one who took it the hardest.

A potential, if small, threat to stability.

"She's... adapting. We are _all_ adapting."

Zuko tried to place himself in his new people's shoes. Honestly. It was just so _difficult _to imagine seeing the capital city covered in Earth Kingdom green, nevertheless Water Tribe blue. He doubted the people of the earth would be so kind to him and his family and his nation as he was to the citizens of Corona.

_"There is good everywhere you look. Some just harder than others," _Uncle Iroh once told him, with those sad eyes as Zuko was about to board the ship towards his first adventure. _"You are not... your father, wanting to burn the world together in a black flame forge. You are a better man, and I pray for an enlightening journey."_ Odd words, but then again, even since Uncle Iroh had returned to the palace from his defeat, he had been a changed man, whose smiles and wise words basically shone only on Zuko. Even then, he had difficulty understanding them.

He brought his hand to rub his temples a bit in thought. "Sokka, you are not here just to chat, though. I might as well skip ahead before you do. Why did you decide to come up here? You know as well as I do that you like to relay what you call messages through Ty Lee."

Zuko had to remind himself to reward that acrobat with a pet lemur as a gift for befriending what could have been the center of any possible resistance. He would have _hated_ to have ordered his men to cut down women and old men to maintain order. She had been begging for that animal ever since they had skirted past the ruins of the Southern Air Temple at least once every two weeks, and hard work should be given results.

The tanned warrior frowned, then kicked the edge of the mahogany table, shaking the golden knickknacks that stood for troop positions on Zuko's war map. Technically, it was unwise to show such things to an enemy, but with Zuko trying to prove that he saw the once Southern Water Tribe as his people, he decided to leave it in the open.

Besides, any information that could be gleaned off such a map would be long since old by the time a letter would be sneaked to the enemy.

"I... was just thinking about the Earth Kingdom," Sokka grumbled. "Not that I embrace our Fiery New Overlords, or anything. But with you making the South no longer so... INVISIBLE, I'm sure some Earth dude will eventually decide to come stop your new demon ice-"

"Clathrate hydrates."

"ARG, you always have that habit of cutting me off!" joking snapped the warrior, before going back into a serious, thinking face. "Look, I'm sure you have already thought of this before, but if you _haven't_... The Earth Kingdom wouldn't be all that happy a new big bad Fire Nation base is trying to be started at their nose tips. And I dunno about you, but I think they won't just come in and be all 'who are not Fire Nation' before they attack. With a wall like that with so many freaking FIRE NATION BANNERS all over it, they might just kill us all inside!"

Sokka stood there, with his arms in a high stance due to waving around because of his conclusions. In response, Zuko tapped the table with his fingers for a moment, trying to make his words sound out in ways that could have Sokka see his way; see CORONA'S way. "You're right. The Earth Kingdom have attacked colonies before and didn't care about if you were a colonized citizen or a non-colonized citizen. Anyone inside a conquered city was nothing but, and I quote, 'Fire Nation disease'. Scores of people have died on both sides when the Fire Lord's army and navy went forwards to protect those places."

Father did the same thing to rebellions, too, but since Corona was quiet, and Zuko didn't want that to insult Sokka, those words went unsaid.

"So you're pretty much telling me that we are going to get attacked. By the _Earth Kingdom_. The Southern Water Tribe's ally. Like... _eventually_!?"

A quick nod of the head. "Without a doubt."

Sokka blew up - a little - throwing up the papers in the air. "PFT, hell, Prince Volcano! That wasn't part of the agreement! For crying out loud, the ice wall isn't even DONE, and it's not like as if we have any Master Water Benders to move or fix it! It's all done by hand!"

The agreement was not an official one, of course. It was a silent, non verbal one: no Fire Nation would hurt the local populace, and Sokka would try his hardest not to reap and sow dissent. "No, but if you think I'll let those dirt peasants attack _my_ people, you are clearly in the wrong," Zuko voiced out, stern. "I have been planning something to prevent such an attack in the first place. A preemptive attack."

The teen blanched a bit, muttering, "A 'preemptive'?"

The Prince nodded. "Yes. Granted, I'll discuss more with you later when it will come to pass."

"Discuss what? I thought I was the one to come to you cause I needed YOUR information, NOT the other way around! "

Zuko was not one to gamble, but his gut said that in order to have a sense of unity, he can't parade with ONLY Fire Nation people in his midst. Did not Uncle Iroh mention that having a collective of opinions was the better route around? Granted, Zuko still would have a final say in anything, being the Crown Prince, but... "All you need to know for now is that in about a month, I would-" well, he can't say 'love' because they were _not_ friends, "-be gracious to have an adviser from the south help me in matters further north." It was a plan he was only beginning to put into motion, of course, and did carry a bit of a risk.

Sokka was pretty smart, and he got the message. "You want ME... to go with YOU... to the _north_? For some reason I don't think it's going to be exchanging recipes for tea. Oh, and you know what, the answer is a flat out 'NO' before you think otherwise!"

The Crown Prince shrugged in his red robes lined with gold, as the sun cast a dazzling array upon the ice floor, sending rainbows all around the walls. "You have until next month to change your mind. Besides, _royal_ advisers get paid handsomely." Which, Zuko was sure he would.

"That aside," the Prince continued, not wanting to upset Sokka by pushing that button too long, "Ty Lee is waiting outside the door, scowling that you are late for your afternoon spars and moving picture Friday."

A feminine grumble of 'how does he always know I am here?' could be distantly heard.

[*-*-*-*]

Katara, who was actually starting to smile and laugh again after the conquest, was scowling for the first time in a week. Her hands were on her hips, with one of her fists clenching an iron ladle that she was using to cook fresh chicken soup. [Ironic, really, that she detested making anything dealing with the Fire Nation, but ended up loving their kitchen ware.] "He said he wanted to take you north? That's rather a generic label for almost anywhere, considering we are the South Pole."

Sokka, who was sitting down, scratching his back sheepishly, nodded, "Yeah, he wants me to be some kind of 'royal adviser', which sounds like a bunch of hoohaa to me."

His sister _was_ adapting to her new situation - to ALL of the Southern Water Tribe's situation. Although, she was _still_ not even talking to the Fire Nation people out of her own will, she was no longer as angry as a polar bear-lion when Sokka returned from his escapades with Prince Fire Pants and his - dare he say it - best friend, Ty Lee.

She still kinda hated them. Just a little less. Sokka pretended not to notice the looks of almost pleasure Katara would have when she saw the children learn an actual education.

"Sounds like he's planning something. As usual." She stirred the pot a bit, before looking up at Sokka with a glint in her eyes. "I'd say you'd accept it. Next week if able."

Never had soup been splattered onto the wall so fast from Sokka's mouth than right then and there! In fact, he was SO surprised, he even dropped the piece of sweet, sweet meat from his fingers. "A-ACCEPT it!? B-but-? Are you _serious-_?!"

"Think about it, Sokka. No one has been outside the Southern Water Tribe since before the invasion, except for the Fire Nation. Not a single letter has been sent to dad about what had happened. He might not even know that the village was...! Well, you **know**." His sister began to pace around, with her voice getting higher pitched in excitement, sorta of like how he gets when he was thinking of awesome plans. "You'll be able to escape once you hit land!"

"I can't just LEAVE you sis! And what about the VILLAGE!?"

"Then just say your stipulation would be having me tag along and make him swear on his honor he won't order any pain or punishment.," she added, with a sense of happiness on her face. Darn, just when Sokka was hoping she could be happy with their new existence.

Still, what she said was making some sense. Even if their dad knew the village was conquered, how was he to know that his children were still alive?

It still didn't get the feeling away from him that the Southern Water Tribe would never return. Unless the Avatar magicked himself into their cold waters. Why not make it a flying potato while Sokka was dreaming.

Nevertheless... sometimes Sokka had the dark thought that the people of 'Corona' were indeed better off than before the war's existence. Certainly they were better off than just a few years before. Did he really want the Fire Nation to go away and-?

What was Sokka THINKING!? Of _course_ he wanted the Southern Water Tribe to rise back, have his dad back, and kick Fire Nation butt!

Just not Prince Volcano's, Ty Lee's, the Fire Nation female sailor who he helped teach to fish in cold water, or the Captain who helped out Sokka when Katara had a bad cold with something aside from herbal remedies called medicine, or the non Fire Bender teenager cook from the ship who could make a _**mean**_ steak and was really funny to hang with, or-

His blue eyes took in his surroundings, as if seeing his area of residence for the first time. There were something the Fire Nation called 'books' on the table, which were also brought in as a thank you from the Prince for something he did earlier. There was the Fire Nation cooking supplies gifted to Sokka [technically Katara] from Ty Lee for her birthday. On their beds were wool blankets supplied from the Fire Nation ex-Earth Kingdom colonies. Resting happily against the door frame - no longer a cloth flap in order to keep in the warmth - was his Fire Nation made Boomerang, glinting in the firelight. Hell, in fact, they weren't even living in an IGLOO anymore. Instead, a sensible ice and snow brick house was around him, crafted in Fire Nation architectural style.

_Damn, if I stay here any longer, I WILL turn into a Fire Nation citizen through in and out..._ Sokka thought in horror. _Maybe in another two months I would be rising with the dawn, crying out 'Glory to the Black Flame' or some crap like that!?_

He shuddered, thinking that. Of course, Katara didn't notice that, thinking his shake was her brother agreeing to their escape-and-reclaim-the-Southern-Water-Tribe plan. Sokka closed his eyes, swallowing, before giving his sister a carefree smile, with judgement on a knife's edge.

In typical Sokka fashion.

"Sure, Katara. Let's go find dad. It's not like I can ignore a request from our wonderful Prince Volcano."

But he couldn't make the words 'and reclaim our village' come out of his mouth.

[*-*-*-*]

_The plot is now moving forwards, beginning to inch its way away from our little town/city of Corona, potentially 'forever'. As we can see, Sokka is in a dilemma, Zuko is planning [and still hard as nails to write], Katara is scheming, and Ty Lee just wants to be friends._

_People have mentioned that Katara is... rather cannon. I know her hate to the Fire Nation runs deep, so I try not to write her too much for now, mainly cause I don't want to reader to hate her. I mean, *I* don't hate Katara. I just like Zuko more, jaja!_

_Except some ACTION in the next chapter or so! A block of action, actually. You might guess what if you could read my kinda subtle foreshadowing of these past two chapters. Ohoho. I was just setting up a plot device._

_And what about Aang, you ask? I'm going to be honest - I don't even know myself! Seriously. I literally write this story on the fly._

_WOOO, INDECISION!_

_Don't forget to RnR~ I'm pushing this chapter out cause I don't want large gaps in between chapters again. xD_


End file.
